topic Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner in Announcements

Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

Alan_K — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 22:40:58 GMT

Hey Community,

Respecting your privacy and taking great care to safeguard your personal information is of utmost importance to us. Along these lines, we are introducing an enhancement to how we verify that you’re the account owner. This new process provides even more security for your private information and reduces the time you’ll spend with our Moderator Team confirming you are the account owner.

Starting December 21, 2018, here’s how the new process will work:

After you privately message our Moderator Team about a question that requires you to verify that you are the account owner, our support team will reply with a unique link to a secure online form.
You will need to provide either your Public Mobile:

Self-Serve username and password, or
Phone number and 5 digit verification code that you’ll receive to the number provided

If you are unable to verify using the options above, our Moderator Team will share an alternative option we have available for you.
After you’ve provided the information, please reply to the existing private message thread you have with our Moderator Team, and they will provide you with full support.

-Public Mobile Community Team

FAQs

Q: What are some examples of requests that require me to confirm I am the account owner before a Moderator can help me?

A: Here are a couple of examples:

You would like to change your Self-Serve email address, or make other Self-Serve account changes that you are unable to do yourself.
Your earned Rewards are not showing up.
You need further assistance with your number transfer from another phone carrier.

Q: I’ve found myself in the scenario where I don’t have access to my phone and I can’t recall my Self-Serve username and password. How can I confirm that I’m the account owner in this circumstance?

A: Great question. We hope that you don’t find yourself in this situation, but, if you’re in this pickle, we do have a solution for you. First, if you are unable to authenticate because you’ve forgotten your Self-Serve password, please try resetting it here. If this doesn’t resolve things, please let our Moderator Team know that you’ll need to validate using an alternative method.

Q: Where can I read more about Public Mobile’s privacy policies?

A: Your privacy is important to us, and we’re committed to protecting your personal information. In addition, we believe that an important part of protecting privacy is to be clear about how we handle customers' personal information, and to make information about our approach easily accessible. To learn more about how Public Mobile and its affiliated companies use personal information for client service, marketing and product development purposes, you can review our Privacy Policy.

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

imm1304 — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 22:48:19 GMT

Hi @Alan_K!

This is a good move. I am happy to know that it just got harder for someone else to mess with my account. Thank you! 😄

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

RobertQc — Wed, 26 Dec 2018 06:41:38 GMT

@Alan_KHopefully this does not effectively double the amount of time it takes to get help from a moderator. Having to wait for a moderator to manually "send this link" ... as a first response to help then it should be automated (and hopefully built into some sort of ticket system)... If it always takes a 2nd message to hear from the moderators actually regarding the issue this may be an extremely terrible idea... especially during times when wait times are exceeding 72 hours for 1 response.

To add this this, it would be nice to have "port validation" code added to our account. Many providers offer this service. To safe guard us from porting scam / fraud.

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

Carld123 — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 23:07:26 GMT

@Alan_K

👍

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

krazykiwi — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 23:13:11 GMT

@Alan_K

A wonderful addition to the servuce. Thanks

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

kav2001c — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 00:54:19 GMT

Question #1

@Alan_K

Is this system *automated*?

I am a bit concerned if this new method requires Mods to respond back to EVERY support request (doubling number of messages required, as well as possibly impacting response times)

Question #2

Why not just scrap the entire "send a private message to Mod"?

Seriously

It seems far easier to go the route your competitors have chosen

(EG, *REQUIRE* login to self serve account, THEN click a button to submit request)

Seeing as this message board community is in no way tied to our actual Public accounts I think it is well past time that method of support is scrapped

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

srlawren — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 01:10:02 GMT

@kav2001c wrote:

Question #2
Why not just scrap the entire "send a private message to Mod"?
Seriously

It seems far easier to go the route your competitors have chosen
(EG, *REQUIRE* login to self serve account, THEN click a button to submit request)

Seeing as this message board community is in no way tied to our actual Public accounts I think it is well past time that method of support is scrapped

@kav2001c I'm hoping this is an interim step toward the full ticketing system, which I would imagine would replace private messaging the mods. This is purely conjecture of course.

Your question #1 (which I did not quote, for brevity) is also extremely poignant, and leads quite naturally into quesiton 2.

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

Dunkman — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 01:50:36 GMT

I understand the need for more privacy, but I am also concerned that this will add more time for moderator response. The more back and forth interaction between customer and moderator just adds extra time. Public mobile should monitor the time for moderator response/solution to problem before and after this new change. Hopefully, it is just the start for smoother and faster interaction with moderator.

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

computergeek541 — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 02:32:43 GMT

Honestly, the way we can verifty our identities via account number, or by giving postal code, name, date of birth, usage history, top up amount, and whatever is not secure. I think we all understand that and I know that you're trying to improve on that. If someone wants to mess with someone else account just out of spite or whatnot, I believe that even many coworkers would have enough of the answers to pass the current security screening. And I would say that if anyone who we've ever considered at one time to be a friend would have enough of that info.

However, with more privacy and security comes inconvenience to the customer. Someone who gets locked out of the account or needs help but needs to prove his/her identity will have a harder time getting anything done. It's a tradeoff either way, and I hope that Public Mobile can find the right balance.

Am I to understand that the identifty verification link will be e-mail to the customer at the e-mail address registered with self-serve (meaning an increased necessity for users to make sure that the self- serve and community addresses are the same)? That's the only way any improvement on security will be made. If the verification link is just sent back to the customer via community private message, I don't see a point to this. How does that make things more secure - it doesn't.

If the purpose of this is to make sure that customer know ahead of time that account verification needs to be done before any account changes are made, why not just re-institute the old "contact us" type form and automatically requires user to enter that information?
Why the back and forth?

If this verification link will be automated, I'll view it only as a minor annoyance. If it's not automated, this process will just add delay.

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

computergeek541 — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 02:41:26 GMT

@kav2001c wrote:
Question #1
@Alan_K
Is this system *automated*?

Question #2
Why not just scrap the entire "send a private message to Mod"?
Seriously

That's what I was just thinking and mentioned too. The only think that I can think of is that they don't have a system in place. If we have to supply certain infromation, prompt us for it when we are sending a message using some form and just get rid of the private messaging technique.

As to your point about our community account not always being linked to our self-serve account, that's why I believe that Public Mobile should be e-mailing this verification link. This is what Freedom Mobile does, and while it's a bit of a pain, it does actually improve account security.

As for your idea of scrapping this online support model, I was mentioning earlier in the week how Chatr and Lucky's current plans are all now zone-free, and how they both have over-the-phone customer service available.

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

computergeek541 — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 02:37:36 GMT

@srlawren wrote:
@kav2001c wrote:

Question #2
Why not just scrap the entire "send a private message to Mod"?
Seriously

It seems far easier to go the route your competitors have chosen
(EG, *REQUIRE* login to self serve account, THEN click a button to submit request)

Seeing as this message board community is in no way tied to our actual Public accounts I think it is well past time that method of support is scrapped
@kav2001c I'm hoping this is an interim step toward the full ticketing system, which I would imagine would replace private messaging the mods. This is purely conjecture of course.

Your question #1 (which I did not quote, for brevity) is also extremely poignant, and leads quite naturally into quesiton 2.

I'm also wondering if this procedure is temporary. It sounds like almost as if it's a band-aid solution to something that they've been made aware of.

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

will13am — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 04:18:47 GMT

This authentication seems similar to the authentication used by the dog brand for live chat interactions where the agent asks for the phone number associated with the interaction. The customer is then sent a secure link to enter the PIN code. Upon successfully supplying the PIN code gives the rep access to the account. With live chat this authentication step is real time. I see this process potentially increasing the complexity and adding to response time, unless... this is the beginning of a transition to live chat as a replacement for the current private messaging system.

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

shartomjam — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 17:56:34 GMT

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Adding to response time from the Moderators would certainly not be an improvement.

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

srlawren — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 20:04:04 GMT

@will13am wrote:
This authentication seems similar to the authentication used by the dog brand for live chat interactions where the agent asks for the phone number associated with the interaction.

@will13am thanks for bringing that up, I was going to mention that too

@will13am wrote:
I see this process potentially increasing the complexity and adding to response time, unless... this is the beginning of a transition to live chat as a replacement for the current private messaging system.

@will13am this underscores the need for the help request process to be improved...whether that's through live chat, a ticketting system, or even a more guided web form that asks structured questions and then immediately asks for this verification info up front. There is significant work left to be done, as the free-form approach currently in place isn't good enough.

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

AR-IM — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 13:00:00 GMT

Awesome, very helpful

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

kav2001c — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 13:45:42 GMT

@computergeek541

I was actually comparing to Fido

Freedom system is so incredibly insecure as to make old Public system look good

You can gain access to ANY Freedom account with a 4 digit pin only

VERY easy to brute force hack that

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

RobertQc — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 13:52:06 GMT

@kav2001c wrote:
@computergeek541
I was actually comparing to Fido
Freedom system is so incredibly insecure as to make old Public system look good

You can gain access to ANY Freedom account with a 4 digit pin only
VERY easy to brute force hack that

@kav2001cNot anymore. They changed the way it works about 3 months ago at freedom, once you figure out that 4 digit code you have 2nd authorization code (good for X minutes) e-mailed or sent as a text message unless you are using the same computer as previously registered with a successful login.

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

sa7375 — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 15:31:39 GMT

@kav2001c wrote:
Question #1
@Alan_K
Is this system *automated*?

I am a bit concerned if this new method requires Mods to respond back to EVERY support request (doubling number of messages required, as well as possibly impacting response times)

Question #2
Why not just scrap the entire "send a private message to Mod"?
Seriously

It seems far easier to go the route your competitors have chosen
(EG, *REQUIRE* login to self serve account, THEN click a button to submit request)

Seeing as this message board community is in no way tied to our actual Public accounts I think it is well past time that method of support is scrapped

Logging in to Self-serve account and writing directly to the Moderators (through a new button) will surely be far more secure and time saving.

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

Watoko — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 20:13:57 GMT

Great change, I think this will be much more efficient!

Re: Changes to how you verify that you’re the account owner

VERYANGRY — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 05:43:24 GMT