Mobile phone numbers in Ukraine are being resold. How it works and what the problem is.

In the spring of 2025, Oleksiy, a resident of Kyiv, purchased a new eSIM from one of the Ukrainian operators and unexpectedly received a number that was already being used by another person. When he started registering in messengers, including Telegram, other people's chats and active correspondence opened on the screen, and the previous account owner periodically kicked him out of the system.

It turned out that Alexey had purchased a phone number for which the previous owner had not paid for a long time. As a result, the operator identified the number as inactive and resold it. However, the previous owner continued to use the number as a key to various social media accounts.

Oleksiy's story is not unique. All Ukrainian operators sell numbers that subscribers do not use and do not top up for six months or a year. As a result, the new owner may gain access to private chats, banking accounts, or other sensitive services.

This creates problems for new owners and relatives of previous subscribers. The new user only receives the number itself, but SMS messages can be used to restore access to social media accounts or banking apps that were previously linked to the number.

How this problem can be solved, what operators are already doing, and how subscribers can protect their data – all this is discussed in the text. LIGA.net

When and why are room numbers reused?

Ukrainian mobile operators have a limited number resource. Each code (063, 073, 093, etc.) provides about 10 million possible combinations, which are used not only for subscribers, but also for IoT devices, virtual numbers, and service purposes. Therefore, over time, numbers that remain inactive are returned to sale.

The deactivation conditions are similar, but differ in details for each operator. In Kyivstar, prepaid subscribers lose their number after one year of inactivity, while contract customers lose theirs after six months. After that, the number goes into "quarantine" for 90 days, and only then can it be issued to a new user.

Vodafone's prepaid validity period is 370 days from the last top-up, followed by a 90-day block, after which the number is deactivated. lifecell's rule is similar: 365 days without a top-up, and the number is disconnected.

Operators do not disclose exact figures on the number of resold numbers, saying that it is an internal commercial secret.

Is this a normal practice?

Reselling phone numbers is not a whim of the operators, but a global practice, according to experts interviewed by Liga.net. A number that is not used is an asset of the operator that does not generate revenue.

"The standard condition for prepaid subscribers is that the number is valid for 365 days. If the subscriber is inactive for longer, the number is canceled," explains Iryna An, Head of Civil Law Practice at the law firm "Prykhodko & Partners".

It is important to understand that the number itself is not the property of the person, but only an identifier in the network. "It's impossible to reserve a number forever – if it's not used, the operator has the right to transfer it to another subscriber," adds the lawyer.

"Many years ago, I bought a SIM card in a supermarket, inserted it into my phone, and started receiving SMS messages from an internet company demanding that I pay off the debt of the previous owner. This is a typical case of number re-issuance," says Oleksandr Glushchenko, a telecommunications market expert and former board member of the Internet Association of Ukraine, citing a personal example.

How can this problem be solved?

The main difficulty arises when the number is linked to banking, social networks, or important accounts. The new owner may find that the number is already registered with a social network or banking application.

At the same time, the previous owner or their relatives may lose access to the services after their death.

With social networks, the issue is resolved simply: you can reset your password and confirm your account with a new number. But in the banking sector, the process is more complicated – you need to contact support or a branch, says Iryna An.

The situation is especially painful for the families of the dead or missing. "The situation will be worse for people who have gone missing: their relatives are searching for them, and even the appearance of an old number online can become a glimmer of hope for their return," she notes.

If it is important for the family to keep the number of the deceased relative, it is worth replenishing the account regularly so that it does not go back on sale, advises the lawyer.

One option for solving the problem is to introduce a "will" mechanism for the number – similar to digital inheritance on social networks. "Relatives are willing to pay the subscription fee to keep the deceased's number inaccessible to others. This is not only a technical issue, but also one of psychological comfort," suggests Oleksandr Hlushchenko.

What do operators do?

Mobile companies recognize the sensitivity of the issue and are gradually implementing additional mechanisms.

Kyivstar allows relatives of those killed or missing to apply for an extension of the number's validity for 2 years. The number of such extensions is unlimited. "We carefully consider each application. Our employees seek solutions even in non-standard cases," the company emphasizes in response to a request. LIGA.net.

lifecell Since July 2023, it has also supported the state initiative to preserve the phone numbers of deceased or missing servicemen. The number is reserved for 2 years if relatives apply in time.

Vodafone went further and automatically transferred all deactivated numbers to "quarantine" for two years, even without requests from users. "Despite the limited number resource, we are taking this step to provide maximum support to customers during the war," the company's press service explains. In addition, for new starter packs, Vodafone mainly uses numbers that have never been in use before.

At the same time, all operators emphasize that the data of previous owners – contacts, calls, or payment history – are not available to the new subscriber. lifecell stresses: "When a number is transferred to a new user, they only receive the phone number itself. All other data of the previous owner is inaccessible to anyone in any way."

However, in practice, this is not always the case. If the number was linked to social networks or messengers, the new owner may be able to access the accounts through SMS recovery. That's why lawyers and telecom experts advise updating contact information in services in a timely manner and registering not with a phone number, but with an email address.