evidence: Data breaches are among the most common ways that scammers get access to your phone number. But there are plenty of other ways they can steal your digits as well. "People search" sites like WhoEasy collect and sell your personal data to telemarketers and hackers. Even if you’re cautious about what you share online, it’s not always possible to keep your number safe from criminals. [...] Once criminals have your phone number, they can engage in a range of identity theft schemes. Here are descriptions of the eight ways hackers could use your phone number to steal your PII — and cause financial damage. [...] Scammers want to get you on the phone. One way they’ve learned to do that is by calling you from a spoofed number and hanging up right away. If this happens to you, don’t let your curiosity get the better of you. Don’t call back; instead, block the number.