Surrendering your digits can be more problematic than losing your phone. On most smartphones, a quick security wipe can remove all personal data — and it can even be done remotely if your phone is lost or stolen. But give up your phone number and the burden is on you to find every business, person and entity that links that number to your life — your finances, medical records, email or social media accounts, business contacts, and much more — and remove it at each place.
If you miss any, your life can become an open book for whoever gets assigned your old number. This stranger could receive texts, photos and voicemails meant for you, and even the temporary passcodes you need to log in to your secure accounts.
I recently got a new phone number, which was in fact a recycled one. Soon I received texts and voicemails intended for the woman who gave up my number, including blood test results, spa confirmations outlining where she would be and when, and an invitation for a job interview.
Deleting these messages would not stop them from coming, nor inform businesses they were sending private information to the wrong person. Phoning the callers and texters to say she no longer had this number elicited reactions ranging from apologetic to suspicious. Still, I hoped that when they saw her again — to maintain the integrity of their medical and business records — they would at least ask her, “What is your current number?”
