Can I Add Old Phone Numbers or Inactive Email Addresses?

Can I add old phone numbers or inactive email addresses to my Identity Vault?

We recommend against it - and here's why.

Privacy Bee uses the contact details in your Identity Vault to verify your identity when submitting removal requests. Part of that process involves sending one-time verification codes to confirm that the information belongs to you.

For phone numbers: Mobile carriers regularly recycle old numbers and reassign them to new users. If you add a phone number you no longer own, verification codes could be sent to whoever now has that number - which creates a verification problem and could result in someone else receiving your privacy-related communications.

For email addresses: If you no longer have access to an email address you've added, Privacy Bee cannot complete the verification step for that address. This means exposures tied to that email may go unaddressed.

The bottom line: Only add contact details you currently own and can actively access. If you previously used an email address or phone number that's now inactive, Privacy Bee will still scan for exposures tied to those details through your name, date of birth, and address information - you don't need to add them to get coverage.

Need Help?

If you run into any issues, our Customer Support Team is happy to assist.

Updated on: 04/14/2026