A report says spam callers often get your number from a consent box ticked in a hurry, plus breaches and fake sites. A few quick settings can cut the noise.
Many spam calls start with a click you barely noticed. A report from tech outlet Engadget, relayed by The Standard in Hong Kong, says phone numbers often reach marketers and scammers through consent boxes people tick in a hurry. Data breaches, public records and fake websites are the other main routes.
The most ordinary path is a sign-up form. Rush through it, leave an agreement box ticked, and you may have allowed your number to be shared or sold. The report warns that a number may already have been sold once it is used to register for anything.
Other routes are less in your control. A legitimate site where you left your number can be hacked. Robocallers also dial randomly generated numbers and pull details from public registries, such as court directories, property deeds and corporate filings. Some people are caught by fake login pages, bogus job ads or sham apps.
In Hong Kong, people can join the official Do-Not-Call Registers through the Communications Authority hotline, 1835 000. Registration takes effect after 10 working days. It covers prerecorded calls, text messages and faxes, but not live sales calls. Registered charities, political campaigns, debt-collection agencies and market-research firms are also exempt, so some calls can still get through legally.
Anyone with a mobile number, on iPhone or Android. People who sign up for apps, stores or job sites are the most exposed, because each form is a chance for a number to be passed on. Some reassurance: appearing in a breach database does not necessarily mean an account has been hijacked.
The alert box above lists the key steps. A few extras from the report: apps such as Whoscall, Call Defender and Truecaller can identify, label or block junk calls. Mobile operators may offer free or paid add-ons, including network-level blocking of anonymous or withheld numbers. Hiding your number on social media also helps.
Silent and one-ring calls deserve special care. Scammers use them to test whether a number is active and, in some cases, to record voice samples.
A leaked email can lead back to your number. The report says it can open the door to phishing, fake customer-service messages and identity theft. It can also lead to credential stuffing, where criminals try a stolen password on other sites.
Have I Been Pwned, a free site founded by security expert Troy Hunt, shows whether an email appeared in a breach. It needs no password and answers in red or green. For a breached email, it lists the site, the year and the type of data exposed. If you are listed, also sign out of unfamiliar active sessions and stay alert to suspicious messages.
Slow down on sign-up forms and untick any box that lets a company share or sell your number.
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