Giving someone a code to contact you at any time seems pretty personal, but if you've ever sold something online or been asked for more information from a website, you've probably reluctantly given out your phone number before

Well, the developers of one of the best VPNs, Surfshark, have added a whole new feature to the VPN's existing Alternative ID tool

AlternativeNumber is a paid add-on to the existing Alternative ID system offered with every Surfshark subscription that allows you to generate "fake" numbers that can be used for specific purposes and destroyed when needed It can generate "fake" numbers that can be used for specific purposes and destroyed when needed

All subscriptions to Surfshark include access to the Alternative ID feature This tool allows you to generate a fake name, date of birth, and address at random and use them whenever you are asked to provide them online This is ideal if you do not completely trust who is requesting your personal information

Alternative Number is a new paid add-on for a service that generates fake phone numbers on request However, it is not just a random string of numbers, the number actually works and can even be linked to an Alternative ID profile

To take advantage of alternative numbers, simply go to your Surfshark account, select "Upgrade to an Alternative Number," and click "Add to Plan"

Aside from not wanting to talk to anyone other than friends and family, it is actually quite dangerous to give out your phone number when signing up for a free service online, for example

In many cases, that information is sold and passed on to marketing databases (or worse), resulting in irritating spam calls Even if you provide your number to a company in good faith, you could be hacked and your number could be leaked to the world

Alternative numbers essentially create a virtual "burner phone" (like the one in "The Wire") that can give you a number that you won't miss in case you lose access

"Alternative Number is intended for use on websites where privacy protection practices are ambiguous or where you are required to post your number publicly," says Alternative ID project manager Sarunas Serieka says, emphasizing that it is not designed for trusted services such as government or banking

Another limitation is that Alternative Number cannot be used for confirmation codes in the two-factor authentication process, but it remains a nifty tool at your disposal

The monthly cost of a subscription depends on the number of months remaining on your existing Surfshark subscription The more months remaining, the cheaper the add-on

Prices range from $299 to $499 per month (excluding tax) While this sounds a bit expensive for an add-on, Surfshark is itself one of the cheapest VPNs supporting super-fast, unlimited connections

As a reminder, only US numbers are currently available with Alternative Number