How do phishing attackers get my phone number?

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We provide a lot of personal data from our mobile phones and computers . Sometimes, we don't even realize it. Cybercriminals take advantage of this fact to trick us into stealing this data so they can profit from it financially.

This is what is known as phishing and it necessarily begins with the sending of an SMS to a mobile phone or an email to an email address. The next step is to impersonate a prestigious company or entity so that the deception of the victim is easier and faster.

Where do cybercriminals get my mobile number?
So far, that's what most people know about phishing and its methods. But have you ever wondered how attackers get hold of the mobile numbers to which they then send their trap? Below, we explain the different ways they use to find your phone and the phone numbers of many other people:

Cheater links
It is not unusual for phishing scams to have their origin in Cell Phone Number Database a previous deception. In this case, we are referring to the links and web pages that hackers create to encourage you to leave your details in a contact form. They often get the user to take this step by promising a gift or a succulent offer . Apart from receiving nothing in return, the victim gives away one or more contact details with this action, which are then used for malicious purposes.

Malicious applications
Not all apps we see are legitimate. Another habit of cybercriminals is to create malicious apps that, when downloaded to someone's device, cause all the information stored on it to be exposed, including the phone number. In this regard, our advice is to only download applications from truly reliable sources .



Social networks
The general recommendation is to never give out your phone number (or, of course, more sensitive information, such as your address) on social networks . Even if you have your profiles in private mode or if the phone number is hidden, it is possible that the platform suffers a security breach and this information becomes accessible to anyone. This has happened to Facebook, for example, on occasion.

Third party vulnerabilities
There are well-known cases of telephone companies , for example, that have experienced security errors in their systems. But they are not the only ones who can be victims of these vulnerabilities . Virtually any company that handles large amounts of data is exposed if it does not implement the necessary prevention measures (and sometimes even if it does). When something like this happens, the personal data of all customers and users can end up being leaked without much being done to prevent it.

At random
There is another possibility, and it has to do with new technologies that are capable of generating real phone numbers at random and establishing contact with them in the manner indicated. If cybercriminals pay for these services, as any company can do, they could use them to launch their frauds.

At Sello Legal we hope that knowing the main sources of phishing can help you avoid them and thus reduce the chances of ending up receiving the messages that are the start of all phishing attacks.