A record 3,322 U.S. data compromises were reported in 2025. SMSFAST argues that the fewer services holding a person's real phone number, the less there is to expose.

BISMARCK, ND / ACCESS Newswire / August 10, 2026 / SMSFAST, an online service that provides temporary virtual phone numbers for receiving SMS verification codes, is pointing to a record year for data breaches as a reason for consumers to keep a primary phone number off routine sign-ups.

U.S. data compromises reached 3,322 in 2025, an all-time high and a 79% increase over five years, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit that tracks publicly reported breaches. Two-thirds of the breach notices listed Social Security numbers among the exposed data, and one-third listed bank account or driver's license details.

Phone numbers rarely make the headlines in a breach, but they travel with the rest of the exposed contact data, and a number sitting in dozens of company databases is a number that turns up in spam, phishing texts and account-takeover attempts. SMSFAST said the practical fix is to hand out a real number less often.

The service lets a person finish a sign-up or a one-time verification with a virtual number instead of a personal line. If that virtual number later leaks from the platform, the real number stays out of it. Numbers start at $0.21, cover more than 190 countries and 500 platforms, and refund automatically when a code does not arrive.

"A breach is only as damaging as the data sitting in the system that gets hit," said a spokesperson at SMSFAST. "People cannot control how well every app guards their information, but they can control how many of those apps hold their real number in the first place. That part is still in their hands."

The company was careful about what a virtual number does and does not do. It reduces how widely a real number is spread across services, which cuts exposure over time. It does not undo a breach that has already happened, and it is not a replacement for basic account security such as strong passwords and two-factor authentication.

"Privacy is a series of small choices, not one big switch," said the Spokesperson. "Keeping a real number off a form is one of the easier ones to make."

SMSFAST also offers longer-term rentals for accounts that need ongoing access, and a REST API for developers who automate verification testing.

About SMSFAST

SMSFAST is an online service that provides temporary and rentable virtual phone numbers for receiving SMS verification codes without a physical SIM card. The service covers more than 190 countries and 500 platforms, charges from $0.21 per number and refunds the cost automatically when a code is not delivered. More information is available at smsfast.com.

Media Contact:
cooperation@smsfast.com

SOURCE: SMSFAST