I am a business owner who has become a victim of a major loophole in well-known applications, which is allowing scammers to misuse phone numbers without verification. Recently, someone opened a Telegram account using my business's phone number without my consent, without any OTP verification. To add insult to injury, this fraudulent account was used for scams, damaging my business's reputation and causing distress among my clients.

Telegram support has informed me that it could take a week to rectify the situation, even though I am able to provide immediate OTP verification to claim ownership of the number. This lack of prompt action only exacerbates the potential damage to businesses and individuals like myself.

The core of the issue lies in how certain apps, including popular platforms like Telegram, Google Play Store apps, and those available on Apple's App Store, handle phone number verification. By allowing the display of unverified phone numbers, these platforms open the door for scammers to exploit users and harm businesses.

There is an urgent need for policy change within Google Play Store and Apple App Store to ensure all apps adhere to strict verification processes. Phone numbers should be verified by One-Time Password (OTP) before they are linked to any account, ensuring that only rightful owners can represent their number.

A more stringent verification process would prevent scammers from successfully displaying unverified numbers as legitimate ones. Implementing this policy would safeguard the security and integrity of users and businesses alike on these platforms.

Please join me in urging Google and Apple to take immediate action and change their policies to better protect users from malicious activities. Sign this petition to protect countless others from falling victim to this oversight in phone number verification processes.