There was a time in Nigeria when your phone number meant little. It was simply a means to remain in contact, something you wrote on a form or shared with a friend. However, that same number has now quietly become one of your most significant digital risks. Without any notice, your phone number now carries more value than most people realize.We use it for everything, including banking, social media, delivery apps, registration forms, and event sign-ups. It has become the primary identification key for our digital life. Yet, we continue to share it casually, hardly stopping to consider where it will end up or how it could come back to haunt us. These days, strange calls suddenly appear out of nowhere.
Someone offers you a loan you never requested or claims you’ve been chosen for a promo you never entered. Most of the time, it traces back to areas where we carelessly dropped our phone numbers, such as in a store, during an event registration, or on some of the several websites that we input our number on to access information.It’s easy to forget how many times we’ve given our phone number over the years. We always assume that’s where it stops. Sometimes it begins with a call from an unknown number. The person on the other end of the phone sounds confident, requesting your assistance in resetting your WhatsApp or Facebook account. Then they ask you to read an OTP that has just been sent to your phone.
It feels urgent and credible, especially if they already know your name or some little detail. But that is all they need. When you provide that code, they get control of your account, conversations, and potentially your money.Many Nigerians do not know how vulnerable they are. Your phone number is frequently used as an app username, email recovery tool, and payment verification method. In cases of SIM swap fraud, which is becoming more common today, someone can walk into a sim-registration office, claim to be you, and walk out with a new SIM card with your number. Suddenly, your phone stops working, and the fraudster begins receiving your OTPs, resetting your passwords, and logging into your account.Also, Nigerian telecommunication company’s practice of recycling numbers is not helpful. After a few months of inactivity, your line is discontinued and available on the market for another user to purchase. If this number has not been removed from your accounts, the new owner could have access to your bank accounts, reset passwords, and start connecting with your friends and family who still have the now reassigned number.However, this goes beyond inadequate regulations and corporate negligence. That cheerful birthday post that you put on your social media account, quick response with your phone number for a free gift or that casual mention of your location, they all leave digital traces behind. Malicious actors pick them up and connect the dots, and before you know it, your personal life is no longer private.It’s time to start treating phone numbers with the same caution we do with our NIN or BVN. Think twice before adding it to every form, website, or WhatsApp group. If you own a business, consider utilising a separate phone number for public interactions. Businesses must also contribute on a larger scale.
Companies should implement stronger privacy policies, such as masking numbers or encrypting phone numbers. Finally, your phone number may appear to be just another piece of contact information, but in the wrong hands, it can open a backdoor to your private life, including your money and identity, and it could cost you peace of mind. We cannot afford to take it lightly in this digital age.
.Adesola is a security+cybersecurity analyst Email: yemiadesola@gmail.com
