By Kim Komando, USA Today

You may find this surprising. Many of us remember when people’s names, addresses, and phone numbers were listed in the telephone book and distributed for free. All we ever worried about were junk mail, telemarketers, and the occasional prank call.

Times have changed. Phone books are now history. You can message anyone you know (or don’t) on Facebook, Twitter, or other means. And most important, your phone number is a gateway to your primary means of communication, entertainment and safety. Once your number is compromised, it’s far more intrusive than ever before.

Every year or so, a hoax burns like a wildfire through email inboxes and social networks warning that all cellphone numbers are about to go public. It also says there’s a deadline to register your cellphone, and, once registered, it only blocks your number for five years.

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