In this lecture, I'll show you how to protect our privacy by using disposable phone numbers or second
number apps.
Many websites ask you to provide some form of verification when you want to sign up to a service,
including shopping sites, email accounts, gaming services, blogs and so on.
A basic form of verification is by supplying an email address.
But other forms of verification can try to be more secure by requiring you to enter more personal information
such as a name, an address or a birth date.
Some services try to identify you as a legitimate user by using phone verification, which usually comes
in a form of an
sms
message with a secret code sent to your mobile phone.
Some important services like our banking application might be more secure by using two factor authentication
and in this case, it would make sense to use your real phone number, but for other things that are
not so important
or for those that require a one time verification, using a number that is not tied to your real identity
would be preferrable.
Thankfully, there are websites that offer services where you can read a text message that was sent
to that number.
This is an online receive service ;to use it, all you have to do is simply give the provided no. to the
service or individual that requires some number to send you the message. After a short period of time
the message will be displayed on a Web page.
Please note that these accounts are not private or secure and can be seen by anyone.
So make sure no personal information is going to be received.
Let's take a look at this service.
I've chosen it randomly.
If by the time you will be watching this video, it won't work anymore,
you should know that there are lots of other such services on the Internet.
Just search for another one!
Like select a number, for example, this UK number, and we see a list of the last 50 sms messages
received.
As I'm sure you've noticed, they are many verification codes from different services:
DENT, Amazon.
Lime or Uber.
To test it, I'm sending an estimates to that number from my phone.
I'm writing:" just a test, it's me, 1, 2, 3"
Now I'm writing the message.
I've sent the sms and I'll update the messages.
And look, this is the message I've just sent.
Another way to protect our privacy is with a second phone number app.
These apps let you create temporary numbers to be given up to unknown contacts so that you can keep
your personal number private.
They use voice over IP technology, but unlike other voice over IP services, like, for example,Whatsup
Facebook or Skype, these service providers have a block of phone numbers that can be assigned to
its users.
Once you sign up, the app will assign you one of its phone numbers.
You can use that number like you would any other phone, number to make or receive phone calls and to
send or receive a sms! Note that since these apps use voice over IP
you will need to be connected to the Internet.
OK, that's all! Now you know what to do when a service will be asking for your phone number to verify
you.