Protecting Your Privacy # 1: Phone Numbers

We’ve dealt with it for years. Seinfeld yielded a hero’s cheers when he handled it the way we wish we all had thought to handle it.

Telemarketers. People we just don’t want to talk to. Blocked numbers. The list goes on. The annoying phone calls that we all get from people trying to sell us something, or trying to get us to do something that we really don’t want to do.

My solution: I don’t give out my real phone number to anyone, especially my cell phone number. Instead, I give out pre-determined “forwarding” numbers. People and telemarketers can still call me, but if a number I give out is obviously sold to a telemarketing database, it is simple to simply turn that number off, and the calls stop. Or if I want to have a little fun with it, I can forward the number to a voicemail similar to the rejection hotline. I save that for those really annoying callers.

The only people that have my real cell phone number are family members and my closest friends. They have all been told not to give out my number to anyone for any reason. If you’re worried that your family and friends aren’t easily “trained” to do such a thing, you can just give them a special number, as well.

So, how do I have multiple forwarding phone numbers without spending a fortune? I use a service called Callfire. Callfire is designed for business advertising, helping them determine which advertising is performing and which isn’t. I use it for that, and I also use it to handle all of my personal calls.

I currently have 4-5 telephone numbers that I give out for specific things. For example, if I want to fill out a survey card at a restaurant, I use one of the numbers. If I want to give out my “cell phone” number (not really my cell phone number), I have another number that I give out. The advantages are numerous. And Callfire keeps the costs to a minimum. There are numerous companies out there that provide forwarding phone numbers, but in my experience, for the money, Callfire is the company to go with.

Simple steps to follow for protecting your phone number with Callfire:

1. Setup an account here >
2. After you setup your account, login, and go to Numbers > Buy Toll-Free or Local
3. Put in your area code, find a number that works for you, and purchase it.
4. After you’ve gone through the number selection/purchase process, you’ll need to setup forwarding to your real number. Do that on the Numbers > My Numbers page.
   1. Find the number you just bought. Select the checkbox next to it, and click Setup Number, put in your real phone number and click Ok.
   2. When you’ve done this, the number should show a “Stopped” under status, select the number again, and this time click “Enable.” (If you get an error here, it might be because you need to add funds to your account as Callfire runs on a pre-paid budget system).
5. Now, when you give out your number, give them your Callfire number instead, and protect your private cell phone or home number from being listed anywhere. Enjoy.