I worked freelance for a number of years and I found that I am the same as you; I miss the social interactions.
Since I had no options to work in an office - I didn't have one - I decided to start working in a co-working space.
The co-working space cost me money I would otherwise not have spent but the impact on my mental health was great. I got a regular group of "colleagues" and it clearly divided my home life and work life.
I would definitely recommend it once we're all out of lockdown.
Burner phones are not available/legal in all parts of the world. It's not uncommon In Europe for phone numbers to be registered to a person using their national ID number.
The issue here is that the vast majority of American articles make no effort to convey the fact they are talking about America.
The internet is a _global_ space and there's very little effort required to make the distinction.
I would argue that the writers of these articles are the ones not understanding the "context of oneself" given how they think their readership is entirely American.