Receive SMS: numbers for codes

A website asks for a phone number to send a code. You do not want to hand over your real one, because ads will pour in afterwards. Virtual numbers exist for such cases. Receive SMS is a bot that sells them and shows incoming messages right in the chat. 📩

The bot has about 470 users in the catalog. Below is how services like it work and which pitfalls come with them.

What is known about the bot

The bot is called Receive SMS and opens as a store, as the /start command describes it. The second command, /cancel, cancels the current action.

Look inside the store for the list of countries, prices and rental terms. The profile has none of them, so compare conditions before paying.

How a virtual number works

The scheme is the same for everyone. You pick a number, enter it on a website, the website sends a code and the service shows you the incoming message.

1. Open the store with /start.
2. Pick a number and pay for it.
3. Enter the number on the website you need.
4. Wait for the code in the bot and type it in.

The number is usually single use or rented for a short time. That is the key difference from a real SIM card.

When it is genuinely handy

Some situations make a virtual number reasonable:

• Trying a service: you want to look at an app but do not want to leave your number.
• Testing: a developer checks how registration works.
• Spam protection: a one time signup for a one time download.

In all these cases losing the account does not hurt, because you hardly need the account.

Where such numbers are dangerous

Do not register anything you need for the long term with a virtual number: bank, email, messengers with conversations, wallets. After a while the number goes to someone else, and with it comes the ability to reset your password.

Many services block registration by virtual numbers altogether, and money for them is not refunded. Do not count on the code always arriving. ⚠️

Rules people forget

Using other numbers to bypass bans on services breaks their rules and in some cases the law. Creating masses of accounts for spam or fraud is off limits.

The bot is not responsible for what you do with the codes you get. The decision and responsibility stay with you.

Protecting yourself at checkout

Pay small amounts and first check whether codes arrive. Keep receipts and screenshots so you can contact support.

Never enter a bank password, a Telegram login code or document data into such a store. A phone number is only needed to receive a code, and the service should know nothing else. 🔐

Safer alternatives

If you need a separate number for work or for a second long term account, look at a permanent eSIM or a second SIM card. They cost more, but the number stays yours.

For one off checks a virtual number fits. For anything important, own your number.