I’m currently in the planning phase of my next step in leveling up my privacy, this time on mobile. My bank uses a phone number as one of the modes of 2FA. I have heard people get rejected for using a VOIP, and I don’t want to get banned or have an account frozen. My current phone number is attached to the bank and what I give to others at the moment. I do have a VoIP, which I give out to family and friends to contact me on, as well.
My plan for the next step was to get 2 sims privately through mint and tello (addy.io or simplelogin email, local address - so I still pay the same tax, etc). I would use one only for the bank, and use the other only for emergencies and keep it in airplane mode for the rest of the time (even at home - inspired by The Hated One a bit here). I might use the mobile data maybe for 1 min at intervals to check for messages, but that’s about it.
At this point, I would have 3 numbers:
- The original VOIP, which will be used for friends and family (and potentially Signal)
- The physical SIM just for Bank 2FA (in a faraday bag and/or airplane mode when not getting the codes)
- Another physical SIM just for emergency, if I ever get lost and need gps, etc. (otherwise in airplane mode) If I do use GPS on it, I will put the phone in airplane mode 1 mile or more from my residential address.
Is this a good plan? This makes sense to me, but I feel like there has to be something I am definitely overlooking.
My other alternative was to keep using the number the bank already has for the bank, since they most likely will sell it. And just go with one additional number for personal use. With this it will be the following:
- The original VOIP, which will be used for friends and family (and potentially Signal)
- The original number, this time only for the bank.
- New physical SIM just for emergency, if I ever get lost and need gps, etc. (otherwise in airplane mode) If I do use GPS on it, I will put the phone in airplane mode 1 mile or more from my residential address.