Here is a list of steps you can take to protect your online accounts from a compromised phone number:
- Ensure any security questions you use are not linked to your compromised phone number. For example, use questions like,
What is your mother’s maiden name?
orWhere did you go to college?
instead ofWhere did you grow up?
. - Change the password for the account associated with that phone number. If possible, use two-factor authentication for additional security.
- Check your other accounts for suspicious activity, and change your passwords where necessary.
- Alert your contacts on that device to the risk of a compromised phone number.
- Update your accounts with the new phone number and add the old phone number to a
do not contact
list.