Resuming: what's the simplest solution to at least reduce risk? Is it to get a second phone number just for banking?
Hackers Are Hijacking Phone Numbers and Breaking into Email, Bank Accounts
161–170 of 382 posts
Re: Hackers Are Hijacking Phone Numbers and Breaking into Email, Bank Accounts
#162A few months ago I took 3 of my 4 kids to a birthday party at a minigolf course. I played some holes with my youngest I had taken with me, and then left the two older ones at the birthday party with the understanding that their mother would pick them up (as we had discussed earlier) After leaving the party with my youngest, I went to the grocery store, and then on home. When I got home my wife was gone, which I expec…
>someone went into a T-Mobile store and somehow convinced the associate that my number was theirs.
I had to regain access to an employee's phone a few months ago. T-mobile gave me account control after providing them a phone number that phone had dialed "recently". I am disappointed, but not shocked.
Re: Hackers Are Hijacking Phone Numbers and Breaking into Email, Bank Accounts
#163This happened to me. 1. I believe it began with the hacker getting DOB/SSN. 2. Called wireless provider, and hacker forward all calls and texts to a burn phone. Eventually, the hacker ported my wireless phone to another provider/number (not sure which), and the phone registered to my provider did not work anymore. The landline phone was also forwarding calls to another number.* 3. Hacker gained access to email (as th…
Yeah, Identity theft is one of those crimes where the authorities don't really care. It can be quite lucrative for the folks carrying it out since there are no consequences.
The police are so overwhelmed and typically it is out of jurisdiction so their options are 0 to none to prosecute.
The only way to guard against it is to keep your foot print small and give as little info as required.
Re: Hackers Are Hijacking Phone Numbers and Breaking into Email, Bank Accounts
#164Earlier quoted context omitted.
The is a direct correlation between security and fraud related interest/insurance in regards to the cost of use and exposure to fraud. They aren't out to "destroy" your security, it's a liability threshold calculation. At the end of the day secure yourself in life, this include choosing banks that are more stringent based on your needs and what you want to pay.
The real answer is to not use SMS as a 2FA. That was never ever a good idea.
What is better? Authenticator apps/hardware devices?
Re: Hackers Are Hijacking Phone Numbers and Breaking into Email, Bank Accounts
#165A couple of years ago i got a new phone which used mini sim instead of the micro sim that my older phone used. So i went to an AT&T store to get it and the rep asks for my name and my phone number and 5 minutes later comes back with a new sim saying it'll activate my noon the next day.
There was no authentication at all. Literally anyone could have walked in gave my name and phone no and would have gained access to my phone. I stopped using my phone for 2FA since then.
Re: Hackers Are Hijacking Phone Numbers and Breaking into Email, Bank Accounts
#166Earlier quoted context omitted.
> The entire situation was communicated to the FBI, local police, and bank institutions, but I do not think anyone cared. Why would they care? It happens dozens of times a day, and the criminals are out of their jurisdiction. If only the police, FBI, politicians, etc. could go after the banks and telcos to improve their security. But no... they see it as their job to destroy security, in order to make you "safe".
> Why would they care? Because it is their job.
I don't mean to sound flippant but they don't care. It is their 'job', but they don't care.
Re: Hackers Are Hijacking Phone Numbers and Breaking into Email, Bank Accounts
#167Security while we all say is super important will never be important until people doing the customer service actually care. When my identity was stolen 20 years ago it was a nightmare involving writing letters to a postbox and getting form letters in return... doing to the police, the banks, and the utilities and being treated like an idiot because I filled out a rental application that someone used to get credit cards is a nightmare that still follows me to this day. It's as if all forms of customer service needs to go through a third party.
Re: Hackers Are Hijacking Phone Numbers and Breaking into Email, Bank Accounts
#168This kind of attacks could lead to total disasters in China where the standard is to login and register solely on a phone number using a confirmation text.
In China your phone number is pretty much as valuable as all your password combined, all services are solely linked to it.
Even though phone companies ask for id before issuing a SIM card, I'm pretty sure a tiny bribe is enough to get past most store clerks
Re: Hackers Are Hijacking Phone Numbers and Breaking into Email, Bank Accounts
#169Re: Hackers Are Hijacking Phone Numbers and Breaking into Email, Bank Accounts
#170Wow! What's the easiest way to stop this kind of attack? Stop all two-factor authentication?