Try This to Prevent Online Harassment

It’s an unfair reality, but nearly anyone with an online presence is susceptible to harassment. Yes, even if you have no public profiles on social media. In fact, if you’ve signed up for a service, posted a listing on Facebook Marketplace, or chatted with someone on an app, you do have an online presence (and you’ve opened a gateway for unwanted calls, texts, voicemail, or spoofing). 

Fortunately, there are a few ways to protect yourself from online harassment, and one effective tool is a Hushed number—an alternate phone number you can use for any non-essential communication.

Unwanted or Threatening Calls

If someone gets ahold of your primary number from a social media post, online listing, or even a public profile, you might receive repeated or disturbing phone calls, which can disrupt your day and potentially make you feel unsafe.

Solution: Start by using a Hushed number to keep your primary number private. If your Hushed number starts receiving unwanted calls, you can mute or block those calls—or even delete the number entirely.

Harassing or Offensive Texts

It’s too easy for anyone to send disturbing texts if they have access to your number, and in some cases, these messages can escalate in volume or intensity, which can feel intrusive and unsettling. 

Solution: Anytime you provide your contact information, use a Hushed number to keep your primary number safe from offensive or intrusive messages. In the case of harassment, deleting your Hushed number leaves the harasser with no way to reach you.

Voicemail Harassment

Even if you don’t answer your phone, there’s the chance that someone can leave voicemails which might potentially be even more distressing than a message or call. In the unfortunate worst-case scenarios, an unwanted, graphic, or threatening voicemail can feel like a serious invasion of your personal space.

Solution: Hushed offers voicemail! Listen to voicemails on your Hushed line without ever exposing your primary number. If the voicemails become too frequent or upsetting, you keep your primary voicemail free of harassment with a safe way to screen messages before choosing to engage.

Number Spoofing or Prank Calls

Number spoofing is a method of making a call or text appear as though it’s coming from a number that it isn’t. It could even appear as though it originated from you or from someone you trust! This can be frustrating because it places blame on the wrong individual and can lead to more unwanted attention and miscommunication.

Solution: Hushed minimizes the risks of spoofing of your primary phone number. In the case that your Hushed number is ever used for malicious purposes, know that they’re isolated to a number you can easily discard and replace. 

How Hushed Protects Against Online Harassment

Hushed offers a temporary phone number for any situation in which you need to share your contact information. Think of your secondary Hushed line as a shield that can protect against any type of unwanted interactions, including online harassment. 

Stay anonymous by making calls with your Hushed number to anyone who you do not know and trust (think: services, businesses, or new acquaintances). That way, while you are still free to block, mute, or ignore as needed, your primary line remains safe and free of any potential online harassment or nuisance.

The best part? If a situation ever escalates or you feel unsafe in any way, you can delete your Hushed number and instantly cut off any unwanted contact. There are no limitations to how often or how many times you delete and change to a new Hushed number, making sure you are always in control of your online safety.