Also known as anonymous VOIP numbers, temporary numbers, or disposable phone numbers, virtual phone numbers are used to receive SMS without disclosing your actual number.
What are virtual phone numbers used for?
Anonymous Sign-ups
Disposable phone numbers allow individuals to sign up for apps and websites without revealing their true identity. However, it's important to note that while this practice can be legitimate, it is frequently exploited by scammers and fraudsters.
Exploiting Free Trials and Discounts
Another prevalent use of disposable phone numbers is to take advantage of free trials and discounts. Many people use these numbers to be able to create multiple accounts on the same app or website and exploit the benefits offered to new users. For example, food delivery apps often offer a few dollars off the first order, prompting users to exploit this benefit by creating multiple accounts with virtual phone numbers.
Automated Sign-ups
Disposable phone numbers are commonly used by bots that require an automated and convenient method to complete the sign-up process on apps and websites. These numbers are connected to online platforms through APIs, allowing bots to easily navigate the registration process when creating new accounts.
How do to detect virtual phone numbers?
If you're the owner of a software or service, you may want to block disposable phone numbers to reduce the number of fake accounts and spam on your platform.
This is a complex task since hundreds of new virtual phone numbers are created every day. Hopefully, NumCheckr can help you with that. We provide an API that allows you to check whether a phone number is disposable or not. Our database of virtual phone numbers is the largest in the world, and we update it every day using scraping, data analysis, and machine learning.
What do I do when a user registers with a virtual number?
NumCheckr enables you to check if a phone number is disposable or not, by providing you with an API endpoint. It is at your discretion to determine how you want to use this information in your workflow.
For instance, you may directly invoke NumCheckr upon the reception of user registration forms, thereby preventing the registration of users with virtual phone numbers.
Alternatively, you can simply flag accounts that register with virtual phone numbers without outright blocking them. This way, you will be aware that these accounts necessitate closer monitoring as they are more inclined to engage in malicious activities.