Burner Number for Twitter

Twitter is one of the biggest social media platforms on the market, and its influence on day to day life in the United States is undeniable. Twitter is easy to use and addictive to browse, acting as a premier online spot to do anything ranging from following celebrity accounts to actually getting your news. 

<h3>Why Should You Use a Burner Number for Social Media?</h3>

One big reason is that maintaining your privacy can be difficult when trying to manage something as public as a social media account. Some high profile Twitter users send multiple tweets per hour, making their personal lives very public down to the minute. 

If you include all the information you allow Twitter to access, it can become difficult to feel comfortable in your privacy while having a Twitter account. 

It is easy to feel out of the loop if you don’t have a Twitter, but there are several reasons why you might be hesitant to get one. Luckily, there are a number of actions you can take that can increase your privacy and security while on Twitter. Some of these are personal and behavioral changes, such as limiting your use and content creation. 

Others are more concrete, and involve taking direct action to increase your privacy on the web. One method is to create a Burner number to attach to your Twitter account. 

Creating a burner number is a great way to reduce the amount of personal information you are allowing Twitter to access, and it can give you some peace of mind about utilizing the platform as a whole. 

Here is how you can set up a burner number for your Twitter account and how it can benefit you. 

How To Sign Up for Twitter Without a Phone Number

If you would prefer to give Twitter your email for verification purposes, simply do the following:

1. Go to twitter.com/signup and select ‘sign up.’

2. A pop-up field will ask for your information, including your name and phone number.

3. Select ‘Use Email Instead’ under ‘Phone.’

4. Continue and finalize the sign-up process.

Twitter doesn’t necessarily require you to give them your phone number when you sign up. 

If you follow these steps, you can complete a Twitter account without having to take the process any further. You will have a fully functioning Twitter account and you will have kept your phone number out of it. 

However, this doesn’t mean you are in the clear. If your account is locked for any reason, Twitter may continue to ask for your phone number, and historically they have made providing your number a requirement in order to access your account. 

Getting your account locked can happen for a variety of reasons, and sometimes you can do everything right and still end up in a situation where you are being asked to provide your phone number.  

If you want to be 100% sure that you can keep your private information safe, you need to find other methods that will allow you to create a Twitter account without using your personal phone number. 

Why Does Twitter Need Your Number?

If you are comfortable with giving your phone number when creating an account, it makes things a lot easier when it comes time to unlock your account. In addition, Twitter has benefits for those who attach a number to their account. 

Twitter could potentially use your phone number for many reasons. Twitter can use your phone number to verify your identity if you get locked out of your account. Another benefit is that your contacts can sync with the platform to make it easier to connect with people you know through Twitter. 

The same can happen vice versa, with people having the ability to connect with you based on your phone number. If you are uncomfortable with how this works, you can turn off their ability to find you by doing the following:

1. Go to the ‘privacy and safety’ menu.

2. Go to the ‘discoverability’ section and uncheck “Let people who have your phone number find you on Twitter.”

3. These changes are automatically saved.

If you follow these steps, you will be able to keep people from using your number to find you on the platform, however, you will still have your phone number tied to the account. 

Using a Burner Number

Burner is an app that allows you to create a Burner number that exists on your personal device. People can call or text you through the Burner app, making it function as if you have two phones in one.

At the end of the day, using Twitter without inputting a phone number can be difficult and inconsistent to achieve. If you really want to preserve your privacy, you can consider using a Burner number to create an account. 

If you sign up for a Twitter account using your Burner number, the process will be like normal, and if you ever need to verify your identity, all you have to do is use your Burner number. 

Creating a Twitter account works the same way because a Burner number is a legitimate phone number, just like a physical burner phone. The only difference is that your personal information is private and secure. 

Burner protects your real phone number and all data that goes through the app, adding an extra layer of security when you are using it to make a Twitter account. 

Conclusion

Using huge online platforms can be overwhelming, and it is becoming harder and harder to maintain your privacy and security. Companies like Twitter ask you for a lot of your personal information and can sometimes make it difficult to use their platforms if you don’t. 

While Twitter has options that allow you to keep people from finding you on the platform through your phone number, it can still be uncomfortable to have to give that information away. 

Apps like Burner allow you to engage with these platforms worry-free without having to give up your personal info. Create your Burner app account now and stop sharing your personal information.

Sources:

Facebook, Twitter still the leading social media sites where people get news | CNET

How to sign up for Twitter and create a new Twitter account | Twitter

Help with locked or limited account | Twitter

Twitter phone number FAQ and common issues | Twitter

How To Protect Your Data The Right Way

Cybercrime costs the rest of the world upwards of $1.5 trillion per year, an astounding number that hammers home the fact that every single person who uses digital devices is vulnerable to internet security threats. 

Hackers have several ways that they can access your data. This makes it difficult to protect your tablets, laptops, and smartphones from threats. 

Fortunately, you do have options when it comes to cybersecurity. You can take actions to make sure your data is as safe as possible and services you can utilize that allow you to beef up your security. 

Some of these privacy settings are built into the hardware and software you are already using, while some require that you put in a little more work and find outside resources. While some methods of boosting cyber security are more difficult than others, it is always worth it to keep yourself as safe as possible. 

Whether you are dealing with your data or your clients' data. 

Encrypt Your Data

The first step in making sure your data is safe is by encrypting it. Encryption works in a variety of different ways depending on what you are trying to encrypt. Still, the main thing is that you shouldn’t be sending out sensitive information or putting it on insecure networks without making it as safe as possible. Antivirus software can help protect your information, but viruses and spyware can still sneak through and leave you vulnerable to fraud.

Many email providers such as Outlook give you the option to encrypt your data by just pressing a button. Emails are something you should definitely look into encrypting, given how often you send personal messages to other people that shouldn’t be made public, especially if they are professional messages. In recent versions of Outlook, any outgoing email can be encrypted from the email window. 

In addition to email, most mobile devices have encryption options you can easily enable. Here are how iPhone and Android encryption procedures work:

How to Encrypt Data On Your iPhone

Your data should already be protected by default on your iPhone, so here is how you can make sure. 

1. Access your settings menu.

2. Go to ‘Touch ID and Passcode.’

3. Scroll to the bottom and make sure it says ‘data protection is enabled’.

How to Encrypt Data On Your Android

1. Start with your phone plugged in.

2. Access the security menu in settings.

3. Click on the ‘encrypt phone’ option, and leave the phone plugged in until the process is complete. 

Whatever device or software you are using to send messages, you need to make sure that anything that leaves your local device is encrypted and safe.

Secure Your Internet Connection

Hackers take advantage of public networks all the time, using them to attack your data when you are at your most vulnerable. If you are dealing with sensitive data or identifiable information, never expose it over a public wi-fi network, like a coffee shop or library. 

These connections usually don’t require any type of authorization, meaning hackers can easily position themselves between you and the connection point. In this case, you may be sending your data directly to a criminal who is taking your information while you're browsing. 

If you are able to create your own virtual private network (VPN) connection or avoid public networks entirely, those options are better than handling sensitive information over an unsecured network.

If you are dealing with your own private wifi connection, you need to make sure it is secure and hidden. 

Password protect and encrypt your router to make sure that people cannot access it if they aren’t a part of your team. Use strong passwords, and consider using the help of a password manager like LastPass or 1Password that can generate random passphrases to lock your information down. 

Set up your wireless access point so that it does not broadcast your Service Set Identifier. That way, you make it difficult for anyone who isn’t a part of your business to know that your connection point even exists. 

Securing your data in this way keeps it off the radar of cybercriminals and it increases the likelihood that your data will remain uncompromised. 

Be Able to Identify Scams

Phishing scams are a very common way that cybercriminals attempt to steal your data. In a phishing scam, you get an email or a message in which someone pretends to be someone they are not to try and get information from you. Sometimes this is a social security number or other means of identity theft. Other times, scammers seek out credit card numbers or bank account information.

Sometimes they will be a large corporation asking for your shipping info; sometimes, they pretend to be family members who need money. Sometimes these criminals will pretend to be large corporations, while others will go a step further and pretend to be someone you know in real life. They may contact you over text, calls, or social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. 

Sometimes you can identify a phishing scam through bad grammar and spelling. If any person asks you to divulge sensitive information, question it and contact the organization through its official email or phone number. 

If you suspect an email you got was a phishing scam, you can report it at reportphishing@apwg.org.

Keep Your Personal Information Private

It is hard to maintain privacy when you have to give out your personal information to every single person you meet. It can feel like everyone in the world has your phone number and can just contact you whenever they want. 

Burner is an app that allows you to avoid this by creating a second “burner” number that basically acts as a second phone within your single device. By creating a second number, you can give out a method of communication that connects you with people without having to give them your actual phone number. 

When you are done with the phone number, you can burn it, meaning that you will no longer be tied to it. Burner gives users the opportunity to communicate without risking private information, something invaluable in this day and age. 

Conclusion

No matter which internet service provider (ISP) you use, fraud is everywhere. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the number of ways a hacker can steal your information. 

By managing your environment and putting measures in place to protect your data, you can comfortably go about your life and your business without being afraid of cybercriminals. 

Keeping your data encrypted will add a much-needed and easy-to-implement layer of protection to your data, while the ability to identify scams will allow you to dodge cyber criminals once you understand the signs of a scam. 

Burner allows you to stay in contact with the rest of the world without ever having to sacrifice your privacy and personal data. All of these habits and tools are things you should be paying attention to if you want to maintain the integrity of your private information and data integrity. 

Make sure you download patches, software updates, and security updates as they become available to you. Consider two-factor authentication for sensitive information like your cloud storage or Google accounts.

With an issue as pervasive and debilitating as cybercrime, it is important that everyone has access to everything they need to protect themselves at all times.

Start your free trial with Burner today.

Sources: 

Customer Data Protection: A Marketer’s Guide to Securing Customer Data | Segment

Learn about encrypted messages in Outlook.com | Microsoft Support

How to Encrypt Your Devices | Spread Privacy

Phishing Scams | FTC

How To Stop Hackers On Your Phone For Good

As our technology evolves, so do the threats to our digital security. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, cybercrime increased by 600%, and 2017 already recorded 30 million cyberattacks per year. 

People are connected to the internet constantly, and for most people, it is impossible to cut themselves off from potential threats. Not only may these hackers access your sensitive information, but they can wreak havoc on your devices with high data usage, low battery life, and constant crashes. 

It is easy to be overwhelmed when you realize how vulnerable your devices are to spy-ware, but fortunately, our methods of fighting these attacks have evolved as well beyond just antivirus software and anti-malware apps. 

You can take actions in your life that will reduce your odds of being a victim of a cyber attack and beef up your security. 

Here are some of the options you have if you want to keep yourself and your devices safe. 

Utilize Multi-factor Authentication

A single password might not be enough to keep your data safe in the modern era. Just one account could give criminals access to everything from emails to financial information. No matter how strong your password is, you’re going to want to reinforce your security. 

One of the best practices is using a password manager with multi-factor authentication, also known as two-factor authentication or "2FA." Multi-factor authentication adds additional steps beyond password input before accessing your accounts. 

Commonly, this works by linking a different device or account that is tied to you that can be used to verify your identity. 

Oftentimes a code will be sent to your email or phone that you can input to prove that you are the person trying to access your account. 

A variety of devices can be used for multi-factor authentication, and the important thing is that you have consistent access to them. 

80% of hacking-related breaches come from weak or stolen passwords, meaning that you are doing yourself a huge service by using two-factor authentication. 

All it takes is a few seconds to input a code, which could save you precious time and money otherwise lost to cybercriminals. 

Encrypt Your Data

When dealing with sensitive data, you want to be especially careful with its security. There are easy ways to encrypt your smartphone data no matter your service provider. Both Android users and people with iOS devices have encryption options you can easily enable. Here is how it works:

iPhone

Your data should already be protected by default on your iPhone, no downloads from Apple’s App Store required. Here is how you can make sure. 

1. Access your settings menu.

2. Go to ‘Touch ID and Passcode.’

3. Scroll to the bottom and make sure it says ‘data protection is enabled’.

Android

Androids also have built-in encryption services without the need for third-party apps from the Google Play Store.

1. Start with your Android phone plugged in.

2. Access the security menu in settings.

3. Click on the ‘encrypt phone’ option, and leave the phone plugged in until the process is complete. 

When your phone is locked, it isn’t just like a real-life lock that a person can pick for unfettered access to your data. When you have a locked pin on most phones, all of your data is encrypted and is completely gibberish until you input the correct password.

Making sure this encryption is strong and up to date is becoming more and more important as phones continue to become increasingly vital in our lives. 

Be Careful With Your Connections

One of the most dangerous things you can do to your device is connect to public WIFI. Pop-ups, cookies, and hackers galore lurk on those coffee house wifi connections.

Free public wifi connections don’t require authorization, so hackers easily position themselves between you and the connection point. So you are sending your browsing history or passwords to them. Hackers can even access your phone's camera and microphones over unsecured connections.

Obviously, the best way to protect yourself, in this case, is to avoid public wifi entirely. When you aren’t near a trusted connection point, you can turn off wifi on your devices to avoid connection to an unwanted network. 

Many phone plans give you a large amount of cellular data that doesn’t require a wifi connection. 

However, this isn’t always a realistic option for people who need access to their network on the go. As a result, you have a few other options that you can try. 

One option is using a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your data and make it harder to penetrate by a hacker on the same wifi as you. 

However you choose to approach the issue, it is best practice to be aware of the dangers of public wifi and do your best to avoid having to interact with it if possible. 

Watch out for phishing scams

Phishing scams are one of the most common ways thieves try to steal your data. These come in the form of social media messages, texts, or emails that ask you to respond and give up your information by pretending to be someone they are not. 

Sometimes these criminals will pretend to be large corporations, while others will go a step further and pretend to be someone you know in real life. Phishing scams tend to be obvious, with bad grammar and clear attempts to steal your information. 

However, you can’t assume that will always be the case, and so you should stay diligent and always make sure the messages you get are from the right people. 

If you are asked to divulge sensitive information, question it and contact the organization through email or phone. 

Don’t even click on a link that you get from a potential phishing scam, as you should interact with them as little as possible. 

If you suspect an email you got was a phishing scam, you can report it at reportphishing@apwg.org. 

Conclusion

From malware to suspicious apps to spam messages, hackers have all kinds of avenues for stealing your data. Fortunately, you have plenty of tools to stave phone hacking off. In addition to the options listed above, consider using the Burner app to reduce the amount of scam text messages sent to your phone number. 

Burner allows you to create a second burner number that acts as a second phone within your mobile device. With Burner, you never have to give away your real number to untrusted parties. 

Instead, you can give your number to the people you trust and use your burner number for everyone else. When you do this, dangerous scam messages are more likely to be sent to the burner number, allowing you to address them without compromising your devices. 

Regardless of what method you use, you must prioritize your internet security, especially on your smartphone. Make sure your phone is encrypted, use complex passwords, and consider using multi-factor authentication to stay protected. 

Avoid public wifi networks and suspicious messages. If you stay vigilant, you can significantly decrease your chances of having your data stolen by hackers. 

Visit Burner now to get your second number and protect your privacy.

Sources:

2021 Cyber Security Statistics: The Ultimate List Of Stats, Data & Trends | Purplesec

Why Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Is Important | Okta

How to Encrypt Your Devices | speedprivacy.com

Public Wi-Fi Risks and Why You Don't Have to Fear Them | Kerpasky

Phishing Scams | Federal Trade Commission

How To Identify A Scammer On The Phone

Americans lost nearly $30 billion in total to phone scams in 2021, which is the highest number lost in years. A lot of this is due to scammers utilizing the COVID-19 pandemic to their advantage, offering fraudulent financial relief during a time when many individuals needed it most.

Don’t become a part of this statistic. Phone scammers can be tricky.  But there are ways that you can identify scammers on the other end of unknown numbers. 

Here are telltale signs, as well as what you should do if you’re confronted with one.

Common Phone Scams

One of the best ways to identify a phone scam is by becoming well-versed in the different types of scams that fraudulent individuals tend to deploy. 

Impersonation Scams

Many spam calls will act as though they are members of a government institution or major corporation in order to make it appear as though they have credibility. Often, they’ll pretend to be from the IRS, a credit card company, or major tech companies such as Microsoft.

Typically, these types of scams will ask you to provide personal information, like your social security number, in order to verify your identity. For tech-related ones, scammers may try to get you to go to a website and install malware that gives them access to your private data.

Believe it or not, some scammers will try to impersonate family members as well. These are typically targeted at elderly individuals, impersonating their grandchildren. 

For example, a scammer might pretend to be someone’s relative who was recently put under arrest, saying that bail must be posted immediately and asking for a wire transfer. These calls can also pretend to be the police and say that you are under threat of arrest. 

Of course, no one is actually in jail, and it’s just a scheme to try to gain access to a large sum of money.

Debt Reduction, Cash Prizes, or Other Services

If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Often, phone scammers will call you and offer services like debt reduction, prizes from foreign lotteries, gift cards, a vacation, or other cash amounts for seemingly no reason as long as you just provide them with bank account numbers, credit card numbers, pin numbers, or upfront fee payments. 

Lottery scams and other false calls from contests and sweepstakes are common identity theft practices.

Charity Scams

Charitable organizations can make telemarketing calls to gather donations, but scammers can use your generosity to their advantage. 

It’s common for them to pretend to be a worker at a charity and seek donations, even though the intent is only to pocket the money themselves.

Robocalls

More often than not, if you receive a call from an automated message that’s been pre-recorded, it’s probably a type of spam call known as a robocall. 

These are a type of blast call that is sent out to millions of phone numbers at one time. In most cases, these come with the intent of selling you some sort of product or service.

Password Requests

Another common scam occurs when individuals claim to be workers at a company like Google or Facebook, and they request your login information. This can also be a type of tech support scam. These sorts of companies would never call you out of the blue and ask for verification of a passcode, so you’d know these are fraudulent right away.

Spotting the Scams

Additionally, there are common phone scams among phone scammers that alert you that the call is illegitimate.

A telltale sign is that scam callers will often pressure you to make quick decisions. They are not likely to let you think through their pitch, and they may even use threats against you. No credible agency would ever do this. There is rarely a real circumstance so time-sensitive that you’re forced to decide right away.

Additionally, scam callers will often be reluctant to answer any questions about their alleged business. If you’re unsure of the validity of a call, you can always ask for more specific information. 

Typically, scam callers won’t give you clear input, or they may request information from you before they open up. A credible agency would be happy to prove their identity and answer any questions you have about privacy.

Finally, it's likely a scam if the caller requests personal information, like your social security number or bank information. Government agencies or healthcare providers will not call you and ask for this information unless you’ve had previous correspondence with them in some kind of capacity.

Note that while caller ID can give you valuable information about the origins of a call, it cannot always be trusted. Call spoofing allows scammers to alter their outgoing phone number, so you don’t know who it is until you answer.

What To Do When You Get a Scam Call

Scam calls can be dangerous for your privacy, but there are some tools you can use to stop them in their tracks. 

For one, hang up the phone immediately once you suspect that a call is a scam. This just prevents you from accidentally giving out any information. 

Also, talking or engaging with the call proves to robocallers that your phone number is attached to a real person, so they may continue to contact you.

After you receive a scam phone call, you then report it to the Federal Trade Commission. This alerts the FTC to look into the source of the call and try to use their legal powers to eliminate phone calls from that specific source. 

You can also report internet and other fraud-related activities on their site outside of just phone calls.

To prevent the caller from giving you a callback, you can block them on your phone directly:

• On iPhone: Go to the Phone app and click “recents.” Then, click the blue information button next to the number you want to block. Finally, tap “Block this Caller.”

• On Android: Go to the Phone app and tap “recents.” Long press on the number you wish to block, then hit “Block.”

You can also protect your privacy by making sure that scammers never get access to your personal phone number. Burner gives you a second burner number that acts as a buffer between you and unsolicited calls. 

When an outsider gives you a ring, they’ll only see your burner number rather than your personal number, so you can stay anonymous.

On top of that, people won’t be able to see your personal number if you make an outgoing call to them. They’ll just see the burner number, which you’re able to swap out for a new one whenever you want.

In Conclusion

Scam phone calls are on the rise due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they aren’t showing signs of slowing down. You can protect yourself by recognizing common phone scams such as impersonation, debt collection, illegal robocalls, and password request scams.

Additionally, common features of a phishing scam include aspects like time sensitivity, reluctance to answer questions, and requests for highly personal information. These are all features that a phone call from a credible agency would not include.

You can protect yourself from scams by hanging up the phone, reporting fraud to the FTC, adding yourself to the National Do Not Call Registry, blocking the caller directly on your device, and using an application to protect your personal phone number from incoming or outgoing calls.

Try Burner for free for seven days.

Sources:

Americans lost $29.8 billion to phone scams over the past year | CNBC

What Is Malware - How to Prevent and Remove It | CompTIA

ReportFraud.ftc.gov | FTC

How To Find Out Who Called You

Our phones are one of the most important tools we have, and most of them see a lot of use every day. Given how important it is to be aware of the calls you receive and the people you are in contact with, it can be concerning when you find yourself getting phone calls from an unknown number. 

Whether you are worried you missed a call from an important contact or are trying to see if the caller is a telemarketer, scammer, or prankster, it is understandable that you would want to find out who is calling you. 

There are a few ways you can try to find out who exactly is calling you. 

Can I Trace The Number If Someone Calls My Cell Phone?

If you are wondering if you can trace a number as the police do in the movies, the answer is no. 

You can’t track the location of another person’s phone using their number, and you shouldn’t believe any third-party websites that tell you they can. 

If someone calls your cell and you want to find out who they are, you can use a few methods to find out who they are or at least where they are calling from. 

Checking the area code might be a way to approximate the area the caller is from. However, you should be aware that some robocalls come from a practice called “neighbor spoofing.” Here, your own area code is used to mask a fake cell phone number in an attempt to get you to answer unwanted calls. 

Check Google

A quick and easy way to see who is calling you is to look up the number on google. If the caller is a company or someone with their number listed publicly, chances are you can find out who they are from a simple google search. 

This may not give you any results if the number belongs to a private household or is fake, but you can figure out whether or not a recognizable company is calling you. 

Googling can also tell you where the area code came from, which might help you figure out the identity of the unknown caller. 

Perform A Reverse Phone Lookup

If a simple Google search doesn’t cut it, third-party services let you perform a reverse lookup to find a phone number owner. One such service is Spokeo, which can be accessed through your web browser search bar. 

Using the reverse phone lookup service called Spokeo, you can input the ten-digit number that called you and see if the application finds any matches in real-time. If it does, you are given access to part of the name and address for free, with the rest of the personal details requiring a payment. 

Spokeo can look up both wireless and landline callers, and it uses whitepages listings along with information from social networks, phone providers, background checks, and public records for reverse number lookup. 

Check Spam Call Websites

In some cases, incoming calls won’t be legitimate at all, and will in fact be spam calls. If you suspect this might be the case, you could try using an online spam checking service. 

Using Truecaller, you can find out whether or not a number that is contacting you has been reported and identified as spam. You have to sign into Truecaller to prove you aren’t a bot if you want to use the service. 

Once you do this, you can look up the number and see the spam statistics associated with it based on public databases. If the number has been used as a spam number on others before you, chances are you will see it when you use this site, and then can blacklist it by blocking the number. 

Why Hide Your Number?

Even if you utilize all the steps above, it is possible that you still won’t find out who your caller is. The truth is that there are a lot of benefits that come with hiding your phone number, and the ability to maintain an anonymous caller id is one that a lot of people want to have. 

Burner is an app that allows you to create a second phone number. It functions as a second phone. Burner routes everything through this second number, keeping your current information safe and secure. By doing something like this, a person’s identity would be hidden. 

Conclusion

There are plenty of great reasons to want to find out who is calling you. A hidden number could be a local contact or a company in the area, and if that is the case, then there are ways to find out. If you are getting a spam call, there are ways of finding that out as well. 

However, there are also good reasons to want to keep your identity hidden, and Burner allows you to make calls and send text messages from a totally separate number. When you do this, you make yourself anonymous and take steps toward prioritizing your own privacy so that unknown calls like scam calls, anonymous calls, or phone harassment will not be coming directly to your real number. 

Download the Burner app now and start your 7-day free trial today.

Sources:

Caller ID Spoofing | FCC

Reverse Phone Number Lookup | ATT

Free Number Lookup with Spam Statistics | Truecaller Blog

How To Send A Text Without Showing Your Number:

Texting isn’t just for the kids anymore, with 33% of Americans preferring a text to a phone call. Communicating by text has expanded past informal social conversation into more professional realms, meaning you could spend a significant portion of your day responding to texts. 

This means you have to text more people than ever, which in turn means more people have access to your phone number. It can be hard to maintain your privacy when a dozen people are sending information directly to your pocket every day. 

One way to combat this is to hide your phone number to get the message to the recipient without giving them your personal info. Doing this can be complicated depending on what kind of device you have and your intentions for hiding your phone number. 

Here are a few ways that you can send a text without showing your phone number. 

Calling Anonymously

Both Android and Apple carriers have built-in features for letting you hide your caller ID. However, this is only for making calls. If you are willing to give the person a call instead of sending a text, you can do the following:

Hiding Caller ID On Android Smartphone

The layout of the Android OS differs depending on your version and device, but the basic process should be the same.

1. Open your phone app.

2. Tap on the three dots in the corner and select the settings button.

3. Click on call settings, then click on additional settings.

4. Click on caller ID.

5. Click the hide number option. 

Hiding Caller ID in iOS (iPhone)

1. Open the settings function.

2. Click on your phone app.

3. Select show my caller ID, and toggle it off. 

Anonymous Texting Services

If calling is out of the question and you need to send an anonymous text, you could try an anonymous texting website. Note that these services need information from you in order to send your text, and you need to pay per text. 

As a result, you need to be sure that the site you are using is legitimate before you move forward with this option. Among the options most commonly used is anonymoustext.com, where you can send a text message with complete privacy for a fee. 

This isn’t a long-term option, but if you only need to send one private text, you could try this out. 

Encrypted VoIP and Text Messaging

If your goal is to keep your text messages as anonymous as possible while still allowing the receiving party to know who you are, you might want to try an encryption program. 

Signal is a reliable option that provides end-to-end encryption on all your calls and text messages. Apps like Signal are great resources for people who want to make sure their messages are secure and only being looked at by the person you send them to. 

Once again, will still tell the person getting the text who you are, but you won’t have any third parties listening in if that is what you are trying to avoid. 

Using a Burner With Your Texting App

Perhaps one of the most traditional ways of maintaining your privacy is through the use of burner phones, which are temporary phones that you buy and throw away when you are finished with them. 

While real-life burners are somewhat archaic, apps like Burner allow you to perform the same function without having to buy a piece of hardware. 

Burner allows you to get a second phone number on your current device, which would make you appear like a completely different person to a third party. For a subscription fee, you can use this second number indefinitely while maintaining complete privacy. 

With this method, no one else needs to get access to your phone number, and you don’t need to go through a website to send your SMS message; you can just use your own mobile device.

Conclusion

Whatever your reasons for wanting to send an SMS text message anonymously may be, there is an option out there for you. If you just want to send a quick call, you can always turn to your built-in options, and if you want to keep your number private and secure, you would be better off trying an app like Burner. 

If you want to keep up your anonymity, you will need to work for it a bit, but there are ways to keep your cell phone number and personal information safe when sending texts, even in today’s landscape. 

Start your 7-day free trial with the Burner app today.

Sources:

Americans and Text Messaging | Pew Research

Send an Anonymous Text Message | Anonymous Text

Home | Signal

Deleting Text Messages: A Complete Tutorial

Text messages are an important part of staying connected, but sometimes they can also be a hindrance. Having too many text messages and receiving text messages that are upsetting or inappropriate isn’t any fun, and in these cases, it is worth it to be able to delete text messages from your phone. 

Depending on your device, the process for deleting text messages might differ slightly, but the overall idea is the same.

How To Remove Text Messages From Your iPhone

When deleting text messages from an iPhone, it is important to be aware of whether your iCloud settings are turned on. If your iCloud is on for messages, deleting a text on your iPhone will delete the text on all devices connected to the cloud. 

Deleting messages on your iPhone is a simple process. To delete a text:

1. Press and hold the desired message.

2. After holding down the text, a selection screen will appear. Select “More…” and to the left of all the messages will be hollow bubbles and checkmarks.

3. After selecting the messages, tap the icon shaped like a trash can. Then press “delete message.”

4. If desired, the entire text thread can be erased by clicking “delete all” at the top left corner of the screen.

How To Remove Text Messages From Your Android Phone

Removing text messages from your android can be done in five simple steps.

1. First, open your messages.

2. Next, find and tap on the conversation that includes the desired message to be removed.

3. From there, locate the text message that you want to delete. Tap and hold down on the message.

4. After holding down on the message, a trash can icon should appear on the screen. Click the trash can.

5. Lastly, tap delete to confirm and finalize your selection.

Before You Delete Your Messages, Consider Your Options

Before deleting your messages, consider additional options. One option is to set up automatic text deletions. Both iPhones and Androids are equipped with the ability to delete old messages automatically. 

This can be personalized to delete them as frequently or infrequently as you want. This can be accomplished by going to your settings app and selecting the settings for text messages.

Another option, if you have an iPhone, is to remove text messages from the cloud settings to limit the devices that messages can be viewed on. Although deleting messages on the cloud deletes the text on all devices, text messages can be restored through iCloud backups and recovery. 

Lastly, it is important to remember that deleting text messages can be permanent.

Can I Un-Delete Messages?

Deleting text messages on your iPhone can be reversible depending on your phone’s settings. If your text messages are connected to the cloud, it is possible to restore deleted messages by initiating an iCloud backup or recovery. Additionally, some phone carriers can recover deleted text messages if requested.

Android phones, on the other hand, have a more permanent form of text deletion. If your android is backed up to Google Drive, text recovery can be restored simply by backing up your phone. 

Otherwise, if you want to recover a deleted text message, immediately turn off your phone to avoid any additional data getting overwritten. There are third-party programs such as Android Data recovery that you can try to use if you want to recover your data.  

Do I Want To Remove My Text Messages?

Deleting text messages holds many benefits. Not only does it free up storage space on your phone, but it also allows additional privacy and security to the phone owner if it were to be stolen or lost. 

Although recovering deleted texts can be a tedious process, there are opportunities to save lost messages if doubt ever occurs. If you want to save yourself the monotony, you should consider using a third-party app that can help you manage where and when you see your messages.

Burner lets you create a second phone number, which can be used to take any messages or calls that you would prefer not to have on your main messaging app. Just like with a real burner phone, numbers created with Burner can be discarded once you are done with them, saving you from having to delete them one by one later. 

Conclusion

It is healthy to be certain of when you want to delete a text message, given the hassle involved with trying to recover them once they have been deleted. Apple and Android devices both provide you with the means to get rid of any messages you don’t want to remain on your phone. 

However, if you use an app like Burner, you can avoid picking and choosing what you want to keep or get rid of. Burner is a secure app that protects your original phone number, making it the perfect solution for people who want to send messages that don’t stick around on their phones. 

Check out Burner’s seven-day free trial if you want to see these features in action for yourself. 

Sources: 

How to delete messages in iCloud | Apple

How to Delete Text Messages Android Phone or Tablet | Tech Solutions

How to Recover Deleted Text Messages on Your iPhone | Business Insider

How to Recover Deleted Text Messages on Android | Business Insider

Networking Tips And Business Communication Advice

Any successful entrepreneur or business owner will tell you that coming up with a great idea is only a small portion of what makes a person go far in life. By far one of the most valuable assets is expanding your network and making great impressions with people around you.

In fact, studies have found that 80% of jobs aren’t even advertised, which emphasizes the importance of meeting people who might be working in your related field already. On top of that, it will diversify your resources and help you grow as a professional.

Looking to amplify your networking prowess and improve your communication with customers or other entrepreneurs? Here are some of our best tips and advice.

Why Do I Need To Network?

Networking can be a lot easier said than done. Especially if you’re a shy, reserved individual, making a great first impression can feel like a daunting task. But it’s one of the most important factors in growing and sustaining your business.

For one, networking might expose you to opportunities you may not have been able to find on your own. For example, if you want to work at Google, you might have a connection from high school who works there now that can put in a good word to their boss. Or, maybe your friend from high school has a friend who can do the same thing. Networks are an expansive resource that it never hurts to grow.

Additionally, networking can allow you to gain a closer relationship to the people you’ve already established a connection with. Being professional in your correspondence will not only increase rapport, or trust, between yourself and others, but it can make you a valuable resource to those around you. And when you do a favor for someone, they might just owe it back to you.

Best Networking Tips

If you don’t even know where to start when it comes to making a great first impression, don’t worry. Here are some tips and tricks.

1. Be a Good Listener

Even if you don’t love the aspect of talking to new people, you can still make a meaningful connection by just being a great listener and practicing social etiquette. The act of reflective listening involves maintaining eye contact and giving a person your full attention, all while responding in a way that proves you’re absorbing information.

For example, after someone tells you that they’d love to be a film director, you can follow up with open ended questions like “So what avenues in film and television are you looking to pursue?” Not only does this show that you’ve listened to them, but it also can give you cues as to ways that you might be able to connect them to an appropriate person in your network.

2. Utilize Your Online Presence

Networking doesn’t just happen in person. Building a following on social media platforms like Linkedin, Twitter, or Instagram can help you reach out to people that you’d never be able to speak to due to location differences or time differences.

Additionally, as remote communication becomes just as popular as face-to-face meetings, take advantage of zoom and other video calling services to connect with anyone that you can.

3. Be Prepared to Market Yourself

You never know who you’ll bump into at your next social gathering or company party. And if you happen to stumble on a great opportunity, you should be prepared to give your “elevator pitch” on the spot.

Your pitch is a way to market yourself in just under 30 seconds. This should include your strengths, goals, and what you can bring to the table. 

4. Don’t Ask For a Job

Asking for a job is one thing that should not be done when it comes to networking. Directly asking someone for employment upon introduction immediately feels unprofessional, and it’s the wrong way to go about it.

When networking, it’s understood that you’re trying to get something out of it. Instead, ask people for information that will assist you in your job search.

5. Say Thank You

Simple manners and etiquette can go an extremely long way. After speaking with someone who offers to connect you with another person, it’s important to establish a genuine relationship through common polite phrases like “thank you” or “nice to meet you.”

Use Your Network

You can’t go through life without a little bit of help. And you’ll rarely find yourself in a circumstance where one of your connections doesn’t want to offer assistance. Usually it’s taken as a compliment, as it means that you value their assistance.

Your network is there for a reason, so use it! Just make sure that when you reach out to someone for a favor, you return it at some point in the future. 

Follow up

Emails can easily get lost, and calls are easily missed. Mistakes happen, so it’s essential to follow up with individuals if they don’t get back to you after some time.

While it’s normal to feel like you’re being pushy, it actually takes a great amount of initiative to follow up with someone you’re interested in connecting with. It shows that you have a drive and passion, and the person on the other end will likely respond well.

Likewise, if you’re the business owner, you don’t want to miss any emails or calls from someone who might just be the next Keith Ferrazzi. Try improving your communication with apps and other tools to filter out unwanted information while pushing through the relevant ones. 

Conclusion

Networking is one of the most important aspects of building your business and progressing your personal career endeavors. When networking, it’s important to be an active listener, utilize your online presence, and use proper etiquette when speaking.

By following such simple steps, you’ll be on the right track towards the job of your dreams in no time.

Sources:

Why Networking is Important | American Association of Medical Dosimetrists

The Importance of Networking | Champlain College Online

11 Tips to Help You Network Better! | Kangan Institute

What Is A Trap Phone?

97% of Americans now own at least one cell phone of some kind. But for some people, one phone isn’t enough.

It can sometimes be useful to have a second phone to separate your work life from your personal life or help protect your privacy. But if you’ve ever seen an action movie or a crime drama, you probably know that second phones can be used for a lot more.

If you’ve ever wondered what to call those disposable phones that drug dealers and criminals use to conduct their business, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything you need to know about “trap phones.”

What Is A Trap Phone?

“Trap phone” is a slang term for a second phone, or burner phone, that is often used by criminals to conduct illegal activity. These phones are an untraceable means of communication, meaning that they can be used to communicate with others, though they don’t contain personal information that can be used to identify the owner.

This makes trap phones popular for usage in narcotics deals and other criminal activity, as it easily allows an individual to communicate and set up deals without risk of being caught by police.

How Does A Trap Phone Work?

The classic idea of a trap (burner) phone is that the phone is physically thrown away when you’re done with it. This is what made them untraceable, as even if the phone is located by police, it cannot be traced back to a proper location.

Trap phones don’t need to be used for criminal activity, though. In fact, using a burner phone can help to secure your identity by protecting your personal phone number from scammers or spammers who are trying to commit fraud or other robocrimes.

But today, the idea of purchasing a pre-paid phone to throw away is a bit dated. Burner phones work a bit differently today than they used to. Now, you can use an app like Burner to emulate the same idea.

Burner works as a second phone number that acts as a “middle man” between a received call and your personal phone number. When you receive a call, it gets forwarded from the burner number to your phone so that you can stay anonymous. And when you place a call, it will show up on the caller ID as your burner number, not your own.

It’s like having a “trap phone” inside of your shiny new iPhone. And if you ever want to get rid of your burner number, you can delete it whenever without actually needing to throw away your device.

What Does Hacking Do?

While modern mobile phones with their LTE capabilities and high-tech features make certain aspects of life much easier, they can also threaten personal privacy. And hacking into modern phones is much easier than hacking into older phones.

Phone hacking involves any method where someone forces access into a phone. It can be something like a security breach, where someone uses your phone to gain access to personal information, or it might be something advanced like hacking a phone and remotely taking control of it to steal your identity.

Since typical “trap phones” used by criminals don’t contain much personal information on them, to begin with, they often can’t be hacked in a traditional sense to try to gain the whereabouts of the owner. 

Similarly, apps like Burner can’t be traced because the burner number is completely separate and unrelated from your phone itself.

When To Use A Trap Phone

“Trap phones” don’t need to be used for criminal activity. In fact, there are plenty of practical uses in everyday life where a burner phone may come in handy.

For one, anyone can use a second phone number in order to protect their personal number from scam calls, unknown numbers, or other potential security breaches. You should only give your personal number to people you trust. For everything else, you can use a burner number.

Additionally, it may be wise to use a burner number if your job requires you to make multiple calls from your personal phone. A second number will mask your personal number so that no one ever gets a hold of your private number or any private information.

What If My Phone Is Hacked?

If you suspect your phone has been hacked, the first thing you should do is contact any financial services that have your credit card or bank account information. Most hackers and cybercriminals are doing it for financial reasons, so you want to be sure to freeze your cards and make your bank aware before any serious damage occurs.

Additionally, it’s a good idea to change all of your passwords so that any breached accounts can no longer be accessed. If you’re still having issues and you think your phone is hacked, contact your mobile carrier or phone manufacturer for further steps.

Where Can I Get A Trap Phone?

If you’re looking to get a physical burner phone, you can purchase relatively inexpensive phones with activation codes or pre-paid sim cards at your local cellular store. But you can also use the Burner app to get a second (or third, or fourth) burner number right from your pre-existing smartphone. 

Conclusion

“Trap phone” is a slang term for a burner phone, and these are often used by drug dealers or other criminals to protect their identity when conducting business. These phones are untraceable, as they are often discarded physically when their intended use is complete.

However, the idea of a second phone number doesn’t need to be criminal in nature. In fact, using a burner number can help protect your identity from dangerous scammers or identity fraud. 

Start your Burner app 7-day trial now.

Sources:

Demographics of Mobile Device Ownership and Adoption in the United States | Pew Research Center

Phone Scams | FTC Consumer Information

Facts + Statistics: Identity theft and cybercrime | III

Spoofing Numbers: What Are They & How They Work

One of the greatest inventions of the past 40 years is caller ID, which gives you insight into who’s giving you a call before you answer the phone. And with 97% of the American population holding a cell phone of some kind, almost the entire nation has access to this key security feature.

While you know not to answer a call from a number you don’t recognize, it’s easy to pick up when it’s a familiar area code or even a familiar name. The thing is, you can’t always believe everything you see on the caller ID.

Scammers use a tactic called “phone spoofing” to manipulate you into taking their call. Here’s everything you need to know.

What Do We Mean By "Spoofing Phone Numbers?"

Call spoofing sounds a lot more fun than it really is. But in fact, it’s no laughing matter. Caller ID spoofing is when a scammer falsifies the information sent to your caller ID in order to disguise their identity. 

Often, scammers will make it appear as if the call comes from a local area code or even a government agency you may trust. When you answer, you may fall victim to their fraudulent scams and put yourself at risk of getting personal information compromised.

How Does Spoofing Phone Numbers Work?

Most scammers can spoof phone numbers with an IP phone connected to the internet rather than cell service. With these types of services, individuals can decide exactly what they want to be displayed on the phone’s screen during the call.

This software also allows robocalls and spam calls to be easily made to multiple numbers at one time. This is why phishing scams and fraudulent activity are such rampant problems across the country, and it only becomes more of a risk since caller ID information can be so easily manipulated.

Why Are Spoofed Phone Numbers Used?

Scammers can use spoofed phone numbers to make it appear as if a more familiar number is calling you. For example, they know you’re not likely to pick up the phone for a random number. But using a local area code or name of a familiar business can help widen a scammer’s list of potential targets in their phone book.

Spoofing phone numbers for fraud or other activity is illegal. However, you can use “inaccurate caller ID” information if personal privacy and security are your goals. In fact, we recommend this.

By using apps like Burner, you can make calls from your primary phone under the guise of a secondary phone number. This means that when you call another number from your personal phone, the person on the other end won’t be able to identify your personal digits. They’ll just see the burner number on their caller ID.

How Should You Handle Spoofed Phone Numbers?

You shouldn’t answer calls from an unknown number, but it can be easier said than done if the number looks familiar to you. If you feel like you’re falling victim to a trick or scam, there are a few things to keep in mind.

For one, if you answer the phone and you begin to hear a pre-recorded message, just hang up the phone. Don’t push any buttons or speak into the other end, as this will alert scammers that your phone number is real, making you a potential target.

If you are being pressured for information immediately, use caution. Tactics like time sensitivity, urgency, and threats are common among scammers to try to elicit the desired response from you. Never give out personal information over the phone if you have any doubts whatsoever.

Finally, talk to your mobile carrier about blocking robocalls or spam calls. Most carriers allow you to block calls and texts easily. For instance, you can forward spam messages to SPAM (7726) to alert your carrier of spam and block the number from contacting you again. 

Also, the Federal Trade Commission (FCC) has a Do Not Call list where you can file a complaint about unwanted robocalls while also placing yourself on a registry so that telemarketers do not reach out to you.

If you’re not able to stop spam calls, you can still take some steps to reduce the risk of them obtaining your personal information. Apps like Burner never allow unknown callers to gain access to your primary number, so you can have peace of mind that your personal passwords and account information is safe.

Conclusions

Caller ID spoofing is a common tactic used by phone scammers in which the caller ID information is falsified to make it appear as if the incoming call is being made by someone else. Typically, they’ll make it appear as if the number is coming from a local area code or a familiar government agency.

Spoofed phone numbers can make it more difficult to trace the original origin of a phone call, which helps to protect the identity of the individual making the call. While it’s illegal when this tactic is used for fraudulent activity, it is completely legal to do this if you’re just trying to protect your own private information.

Using the Burner number is an easy way to defend yourself from spoofed calls. Unknown callers will never see your real phone number by rerouting your second number back to your personal number. 

This helps to guard your privacy and reduce the risk of getting your personal information solicited. Start your 7-day free trial with Burner today to see how its benefits make your life easier.

Sources:

Demographics of Mobile Device Ownership and Adoption in the United States | Pew Research Center

Caller ID Spoofing | Federal Communications Commission

National Do Not Call Registry | Federal Trade Commission