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Identity Thieves Hijack Cellphone Accounts to Go After Virtual Currency

nytimes.com

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Re: Identity Thieves Hijack Cellphone Accounts to Go After Virtual Currency

#21

Post by ghostbrainalpha »

whipoodle wrote: post #16
tetromino_ wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can but (in case of some banks) won't . As I have learned from a friend who was a victim of debit card skimming and theft - with TD bank failing to block obviously out-of-character fraudulent transactions and refusing to revert the fraudulent charges, and then charging fees for fraudulent overdraft to add insult to injury.

Well shit, might as well put everything in a bitcoin wallet then.

On a USB stick. ($70) In a hand gun safe ($110), buried under a tree in the backyard ($Priceless).

Re: Identity Thieves Hijack Cellphone Accounts to Go After Virtual Currency

#22

Post by pfarnsworth »

The problem is that there is too much power in the hands of first level support personnel. They should hand it off to a specialized team that is extremely well trained to understand how to stop phishing. This should be standard practice for all companies with customer support.

Re: Identity Thieves Hijack Cellphone Accounts to Go After Virtual Currency

#23

Post by Casseres »

DennisP wrote: post #13
e40 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is having Project Fi (Google as the carrier) safer?

Yes, according to Kraken. "Consider switching to a more secure telco, without a human interface. Google Fi: no phone support agents, no physical locations, no problems." https://blog.kraken.com/post/219/security-advisory-mobile-ph...

Google Fi actually has great support. When I ported a number over to them, I had several issues and each time I called, they were able to help and I was always connected to someone instantly. That was a year ago.

Re: Identity Thieves Hijack Cellphone Accounts to Go After Virtual Currency

#24

Post by pmarreck »

ikeboy wrote: post #18
pmarreck wrote: post #5

I submitted this apparently just after: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15070199 I got hacked a week ago in this exact fashion (I haven't tried to keep it a secret that I was involved in Bitcoin earlyish-on). I don't think they were able to get anything (largely because I am mostly out of the crypto space) but please remove cellphone 2FA from all your online dealings and add something like Google Authenticator i…

>The cellphone companies could prevent this attack entirely by requiring in-person (with ID) transfers of cellphone numbers to new hardware, at the store. Given the infrequency that I would have to do that, the extra inconvenience is acceptable. Fake IDs are cheap. This would not prevent a motivated attacker.

What do you suggest instead, then?

Re: Identity Thieves Hijack Cellphone Accounts to Go After Virtual Currency

#25

Post by Frogolocalypse »

pmarreck wrote: post #24
ikeboy wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The cellphone companies could prevent this attack entirely by requiring in-person (with ID) transfers of cellphone numbers to new hardware, at the store. Given the infrequency that I would have to do that, the extra inconvenience is acceptable. Fake IDs are cheap. This would not prevent a motivated attacker.

What do you suggest instead, then?

Don't put enough crypto on your phone to matter for one. I treat it as i would treat my actual wallet.

I use an electrum wallet on my desktop, and use one of the addresses in that multi address hd wallet as my hot wallet. I load that address on my android electrum install. That way if i ever lose my phone, there isn't much on it, and i can always move the funds using my desktop wallet if required.

But it does suck that it happened. Sorry to hear it.

Re: Identity Thieves Hijack Cellphone Accounts to Go After Virtual Currency

#26

Post by DennisP »

Casseres wrote: post #23
DennisP wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, according to Kraken. "Consider switching to a more secure telco, without a human interface. Google Fi: no phone support agents, no physical locations, no problems." https://blog.kraken.com/post/219/security-advisory-mobile-ph...

Google Fi actually has great support. When I ported a number over to them, I had several issues and each time I called, they were able to help and I was always connected to someone instantly. That was a year ago.

I have no experience with them. From Kraken's perspective, human support is a negative; it's just an opportunity for a clueless rep to hand your account to a hacker.

Re: Identity Thieves Hijack Cellphone Accounts to Go After Virtual Currency

#28

Post by ikeboy »

reefoctopus wrote: post #27
ikeboy wrote: post #19

Why hasn't any of these people losing six figures plus sued the phone company? Even if it's a longshot, it's worth it for the chance of recovery.

You can't sue them due to arbitration clauses.

So sue in arbitration.
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