How to Protect Your Identity Online: The Power of Alternative IDs and Numbers

Here’s the reality check we all need: every time you click “Sign Up” on some app or website, you’re essentially handing over the keys to your digital identity. We’re talking about your name, email, phone number, and even your address – served up on a silver platter.

And then what? 

It gets scooped up by data brokers, bundled up really nicely, and sold to whoever’s buying. Marketers, advertisers, and even scammers – your info is their payday. The fallout? Your inbox gets flooded with spam emails, your phone blows up from scammers and your privacy?

It’s toast. 

Not to worry – this is where Surfshark steps in.

Surfshark tools like Alternative ID and Alternative Number give you a digital lifeline to safety. Live your life online without giving up your personal information to every website and app that asks – more like “demands” – it.

Meet Your New Digital Self with Alternative Identification

Remember those days when signing up for stuff online wasn’t a big deal? Now every website wants a full biography just to let you in the door. And what happens to that data? Best-case scenario – it sits in a database.

Worst case? It’s sold, hacked, or leaked.

Surfshark Alternative ID provides you with a fully functional, realistic – albeit faux – digital identity to use online without putting your real details at risk.

Think of it as your digital decoy.

You get a fake name, birth date, and email address that looks good enough to use anywhere. Emails sent to your “Alt ID” get forwarded directly to your real inbox, but nobody ever really knows your actual email. It’s privacy that feels effortless but works overtime to keep you safe.

How to Configure Alternative ID

Set up your Alt persona in just a few clicks. Here’s how to do it.

1. Open the Surfshark application or browser extension and click on the “Alternative ID” tab.
2. Click “Create.” Let Surfshark generate the identity for you, or, if you’d like to personalize it, edit the information.
3. Not loving the first option? Keep hitting “Regenerate” until it’s just right.
4. Connect your Alt email with your real inbox. Messages sent to your Alt ID will be forwarded to that address while your real email stays under wraps.

Need to start fresh? You can delete an old Alt ID and create a new one at any time.

Stop Sharing Your Real Number with Alternative Number from Surfshark

We’ve all been there – one slip of your phone number online, and next thing you know, it’s blowing up with spam calls, phishing scams, and God knows what. Scammers love to spoof numbers, pretending to be your bank, your favorite store, or even government agencies. One wrong move, and they’ve got your passwords, bank details – or worse. 

Enter Alternative Number: a virtual number that keeps your real one out of harm’s way.

How Surfshark Alternative Number Works

This isn’t your average throwaway number. Your Alternative Number can take and receive calls and texts like any other phone number, but your real number stays totally hidden. It’s ideal for temporary setups like signing up for services, replying to inquiries, or dealing with one-off scenarios online without risking your personal number.

Here’s the setup process:

1. Create an Alternative ID in the Surfshark application.
2. Click on the “Alternative ID” tab and select “Add Alternative Number.”
3. Allow the app to access your microphone and notifications – nothing sketchy going on here, just for functionality. 

Once activated, all calls or messages to your Alternative Number will appear on your phone, clearly marked as coming through Surfshark.

Everyday Wins with Surfshark’s Privacy Tools

Surfshark’s tools aren’t just for the tech elite. Anybody who wants to have some sense of control over their personal data can use it to boost their online privacy. These tools provide ways to dodge the endless spam emails and scam calls that come flooding in when someone buys a list from a data broker and your details are on it.

They’re also a surefire way to upgrade your security if you’ve ever been burned by phishing scams or just want to stay off the radar of shady data brokers. With an Alternative ID and number your phone is left alone by spammers and fraudsters. 

How Much Does It Cost?

Privacy doesn’t have to put a hole in your e-wallet. Surfshark’s Alternative ID starts from just $2.19 a month and Alternative Number for $2.99 to $4.99 per month, depending on the plan you choose. The top-end two-year plans come with an extra four months for free and you get a 30-day risk-free money guarantee. 

The Future of Digital Privacy with Surfshark 

Create a digital space where you define the rules. With data breaches getting increasingly sophisticated and cyber crooks finding new ways to exploit personal information, tools like Alternative IDs and Alternative Numbers are stepping stones to a completely new level of control over our online privacy.

Journalists, activists, and professionals operating in sensitive fields can dynamically apply specific solutions to ensure their privacy. The everyday user benefits from seamless integration across devices and platforms blocking malicious actors from gaining access to your data in real-time.

With every new innovation they’re pushing out, Surfshark closes the gap between possible and accessible. So, why sit on the sidelines? Explore what Surfshark has to offer and be at the forefront of digital privacy – where your data isn’t just protected but works for you, on your terms.