What info does your mobile number give out?

[Joe Cocker]

OK so your all going to spank me for this but here goes.

I punt using my regular mobile because I have no worry of my Mrs looking at it. We both have face recognition enabled on our phones because we have payment cards enabled and in 20yrs we have never had any issues about wanting to be in each other phones, she isnt snoopy any more than I am.

So today I text a WG who is advertising on VS and straight away the replies dont seem right. Pretty quickly I realise I must have typed the wrong number but not before it was obvious what I was after. The final reply came back saying you wont find that here make and then he made a complimentary reference to something personal on my Facebook profile, then my iPhone is offering to add him under new contact information with his name and number?????

Fuck that unnerved me a bit!

How did this happen and how big a risk am I taking by punting with my normal phone?

[Richthescouser]

Do you really need an answer, given what has already happened? They know exactly who you are and digging further would quickly give them the name and contact details of your wife, assuming she’s on Facebook.

[RandomGuy99]

And if you have a voicemail message on your normal phone the SP just needs to call your number to hear it.

[Brompton]

How many times over the years have members advised a basic punting phone or cheapo sim?

[jimbobted]

Well if he has your name and presumably general location by Facebook... He can now possibly look up your address on directory enquiries if your phone number is listed. Or via the electoral roll if you are on the public register.
Presumably you have Facebook set to allow you to be found by phone number.

[PilotMan]

You only need to have ever advertised on some site like Pets at Home or similar where you can put your number in. IT tends to stay there forever.

Instagram regularly tells me contacts from my phone are on Instagram and shows me their profile.

Google your own phone number and see what comes up?

[Mrcambridge69]

Do you use an iPhone? If you sent the text via iMessage it’ll Show as your email address or full name (depending on how your phones set up) rather than the number to the recipient.

[bops909]

OK so your all going to spank me for this but here goes.

I punt using my regular mobile

So today I text a WG who is advertising on VS and straight away the replies dont seem right.

Pretty quickly I realise I must have typed the wrong number but not before it was obvious what I was after.

The final reply came back saying you wont find that here make and then he made a complimentary reference to something personal on my Facebook profile, then my iPhone is offering to add him under new contact information with his name and number?????



How did this happen and how big a risk am I taking by punting with my normal phone?

A few things that could usefully be clarified here.

You can have one phone with more than one number running on it . Are you using the same phone number for all of your activity e.g. facebook etc. or do you have multiple SIMs (actual or virtual) in same phone or something else that means you have more than one number , one for punting and one not ?

You mention typing the wrong number ? Did you manually type in the wrong number and now you're talking to a random person (a male by sounds of it) instead of the WG ?

If that's what you've done then you're in the hands of the stranger as to whether they let the world know of your attempt to contact a WG. They may not care at all. They could obviously find you on Facebook from the phone number they had in the text message.

Let us know how that turns out.

Presumably your phone history is full of a mix of contacts some WGs and some not ? You must be getting all sorts of recommendations from Facebook etc. (and of course your WG contacts can see the same) .

Search your own phone number (using an incognito or private browsing option, and logged out of any relevant browser-linked account) and see what you find. 

[Dipper]

As a minimum, and if u must use your everyday number.. ensure NOTHING links to any social media AT ALL.

Max privacy everywhere. Ideally not under real names either. Also don’t be daft enough to use real pictures on anything such as WhatsApp, for example.

[big-al93]

  If you are in any sort of relationship NEVER NEVER NEVER use your personal number and never ever from a smartphone. Even though I  have nothing to fear in that respect, separate phone (smartphone only because I hate texting on a dumb phone) payg sim and apps not installed and wifi off. I don't contact SP's via Whatsapp, again it seems to release personal info in some way, profilepics and what not. Not 100% certain as I don't use it on my personal phone either.

Too late for the OP, he's now at the mercy of the guy he contacted as to whether or not he tries to ruin the OP's life. Hopefully he won't, but likely to be a laugh between him and his mates down the pub.

Hopefully anyone else who uses their personal phone will learn from this. Even if you have nothing to lose a punting sim makes sense, that way if you end up being in contact with a nutcase (thankfully not that common) who contacts randomly or after a failed booking gives you repeated abuse, it's easy to change your number and let any SP's you return to know that you have a new number. Much more of a pain in your real life.

A couple of SP's have my real number also as I was having problems with my punting phone but these were ladies that I had visited repeated times. If I was having problems with my punting phone trying to contact a new SP, it would be radio silence from me, with an apology once sorted I'm afraid. Not worth the risk.

[JonasG]

Even if you aren't in a relationship, never use your proper phone.

Some WGs send unsolicited texts about being available now or back in the area etc. Imagine you're showing someone something on your phone and they see a text from an escort.

[Dipper]

Even if you aren't in a relationship, never use your proper phone.

Some WGs send unsolicited texts about being available now or back in the area etc. Imagine you're showing someone something on your phone and they see a text from an escort.

Ensuring alerts are fully off should take care of this.

[tynetunnel]

Bloody hell, squeaky bum time right there! Be like me, don’t use any social media AND use a punting sim. Anything less is stupidity. Most of us have a lot more to lose than the cost of topping up an anonymous payg sim

For anyone reading this, who uses their personal number for punting…. make today the day you sort that out, before it’s your privacy on the line 

[char45]

This is spot on, whenever your number is in the wild it can be found

You only need to have ever advertised on some site like Pets at Home or similar where you can put your number in. IT tends to stay there forever.

Instagram regularly tells me contacts from my phone are on Instagram and shows me their profile.

Google your own phone number and see what comes up?

[PilotMan]

This is spot on, whenever your number is in the wild it can be found

I googled my number, even though it's only just over a year old, you can find out from that exactly where I live   

[Dipper]

I googled my number, even though it's only just over a year old, you can find out from that exactly where I live   

How? Other than socials..how have you made it known?

[PilotMan]

How? Other than socials..how have you made it known?

Well I'm not going to say exactly where, but I was advertising something for sale.

I don't use Facebook so it wouldn't be there.

Loads of contacts I have in my phone book come up on Instagram alerts - "XXX in your contacts is on Instagram". So the reverse of that is that once someone has your number they can track you down through Instagram.

Aside from LinkedIn (my mobile isn't on there) I don't have any other socials.

[Dipper]

Well I'm not going to say exactly where, but I was advertising something for sale.

I don't use Facebook so it wouldn't be there.

Loads of contacts I have in my phone book come up on Instagram alerts - "XXX in your contacts is on Instagram". So the reverse of that is that once someone has your number they can track you down through Instagram.

Aside from LinkedIn (my mobile isn't on there) I don't have any other socials.

I’m fairly sure you can alter your settings to stop your contact list being aware you’re on socials.

[PilotMan]

I’m fairly sure you can alter your settings to stop your contact list being aware you’re on socials.

Probably could, but not necessary.

I don't use it for punting 

[Adoniron]

Just googled my number and nothing came up. Same with using some of the number look up sites.

Maybe it's because I'm not on Facebook or Instagram?

[jimbobted]

People just don't realise the breadcrumbs they leave. One SP I know posted a cashapp link on her twitter. The cashapp name was styled as a Ltd company with the SPs working initials in the title. I felt compelled to warn her that if the Ltd company name is genuine, she's released her real name and possibly home address to all of twitter via the companies house website.
The tweet disappeared and I got an "Oops, thank you!" reply.

Another girl linked some of her socials but had unwittingly linked her real Instagram, which included her full real name and DOB in the handle. FFS!

[Doc Holliday]

I googled my number, even though it's only just over a year old, you can find out from that exactly where I live   

Indeed. Googling mine gives an address in Tombstone

[RandomGuy99]

This is why I use one of these.  No internet. No Google. No Whatsapp. No Facebook. No geolocation.



Hidden Image/Members Only

[hunkybc]

I use hushed. It was safer for me to have this over than risk leaving a punting phone in a place where it could be found.

[Dipper]

I use hushed. It was safer for me to have this over than risk leaving a punting phone in a place where it could be found.

This is the thing. Another physical handset has to be as big a risk as using your genuine number.

[PilotMan]

I use hushed. It was safer for me to have this over than risk leaving a punting phone in a place where it could be found.

Yeah, gotta get myself on that. Tell me about it, how does it work, does it work on Android?

[hunkybc]

Yes Google hushed.
It's real simple...you basically pay for a UK emobile number. You send messages or make phone calls using VoIP. So it used your phone data.

[myothernameis]

I googled my number, even though it's only just over a year old, you can find out from that exactly where I live   

But have you googled the places where you have visited, like the local massage place, or a well known street for incalls

[PilotMan]

But have you googled the places where you have visited, like the local massage place, or a well known street for incalls

Nope, never.

My number appears on a specific website, you would only go there if you were looking for something very specific and niche, but it shows up when you Google my number.

The point I'm making is that, if you use your normal phone for punting there's a chance that an SP could Google you and find out more about you. That's just one reason not to use your normal phone for punting, even if you're single.

[PilotMan]

Yes Google hushed.
It's real simple...you basically pay for a UK emobile number. You send messages or make phone calls using VoIP. So it used your phone data.

Do you know if the app can be hidden in the secure Vault on a Samsung phone?

[Atrueyorkie]

Probably been said a billion times but no matter how discreet you are never use your main phone.

I believe if you have ever put your number on an advert or a social media post it might be able to be picked up.

You need a punting phone that you can literally dash at any second and be alright with that

[holeymoley]

Do you know if the app can be hidden in the secure Vault on a Samsung phone?

FWIW not being pedantic but after a visit to my local shop for a new screen for my dropped Samsung, the guy there said there was nothing secure on a Samsung not even the secure vault. He only told me this after I had it repaired. He said only secure phone is an Apple.(He just repairs and sells an occasional second hand phone ) I have no axe to grind and no connection whatsoever with Apple. Maybe someone with the knowledge will comment ?

[s0whatsnew?]

Loads of contacts I have in my phone book come up on Instagram alerts

I suggest not keeping a contacts list.  If I want to find someone I scroll through my texts until i find the wanted number.   Its usually not too tedious to do and privacy assured from all those prying apps.

[tp69]

Even if you aren't in a relationship, never use your proper phone.

Agree. I don't have to worry about the partner aspect, but this activity is so poorly regarded by a large percentage of people that you really don't want it becoming public knowledge. I use a separate phone that is wiped after every punt such that there's no trace of any activity. If I die tomorrow, it's just an old backup phone. Considered keeping a few numbers stored in it but decided even that isn't worth the risk.

[Dipper]

I think morse code and semaphore are the way to go 

[akauya]

Just googled my number. It only appears once, not as text but as an image (a flyer/advert) for a work do I organised where I put my personal number by mistake. 

Google scans images for text! FFS!

[catweazle]

Googled both personal  and punting numbers. Zilch on both!

[dubs]

Do you use an iPhone? If you sent the text via iMessage it’ll Show as your email address or full name (depending on how your phones set up) rather than the number to the recipient.

I was caught out by this. Luckily it was pointed out by a trusted WG and I changed the setting. Learnt my lesson and got a punting phone

[PilotMan]

Googled both personal  and punting numbers. Zilch on both!

That's because you don't even have electrickery   

Hopefully, some old farts will get that joke.

[JonasG]

Agree. I don't have to worry about the partner aspect, but this activity is so poorly regarded by a large percentage of people that you really don't want it becoming public knowledge. I use a separate phone that is wiped after every punt such that there's no trace of any activity. If I die tomorrow, it's just an old backup phone. Considered keeping a few numbers stored in it but decided even that isn't worth the risk.

Same, I always delete the texts to WGs but the regular WGs I see I have their numbers saved on the phone. But, the phone is password protected.

[PilotMan]

I suggest not keeping a contacts list.  If I want to find someone I scroll through my texts until i find the wanted number.  Its usually not too tedious to do and privacy assured from all those prying apps.

That's because you don't have any mates 

I use my phone for business and personal, I have over 1,000 contacts in it, most of whom I never text.

[catweazle]

 

That's because you don't even have electrickery   

Hopefully, some old farts will get that joke.

[donnybob]

Indeed. Googling mine gives an address in Tombstone

The graveyard ? or did you not die in 1887

[Doc Holliday]

The graveyard ? or did you not die in 1887

  Some days now I feel like I've been dead over 130 years.

There is some dispute as to where I am buried External Link/Members Only

Getting back on topic, googling my number used to bring up many hits linking to my ID, mostly due to being a contact relating to volunteer work and which appeared on websites and articles in the press.

As years go by those hits disappear, presumably as traffic stops? Having checked again there are now only two remaining, both of which should disappear at some point.

So yes .. never use your personal phone number. Even if you get no google hits now that could change at some future point.

[s0whatsnew?]

    

[redmist81]

If you enter the number in face book search bar it some times brings up the persons profile   
What the op needs to do is check if his number  is stored on his Facebook info an maybe alter the number but then you can't receive security codes from Facebook but this shouldn't be a problem if you don't log out 
An you could get around the issue by logging in with email anyway

[Nightingale]

Another vote here for Hushed.

[Pointless]

It would be handy if more SPs (and punters) switched to a messaging service that isn't so linked to the rest of what you do, Signal is a popular one but even that is very niche amongst people who want to keep things private.

[leffe7]

Yes Google hushed.
It's real simple...you basically pay for a UK emobile number. You send messages or make phone calls using VoIP. So it used your phone data.

hushed is good.

Do wonder how many numbers they have, definitely recycled.