topic Re: SIM Security in Get Support

SIM Security

WilliamF11 — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 18:52:48 GMT

A security expert said to use a pin with your carrier to avoid sim swapping but public mobile does not provide one. What measures are in place instead of a pin as was suggested?

Re: SIM Security

TheSterlinger — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 18:59:08 GMT

You can lock your pin lock your SIM by going into your phones settings and creating a pin.
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT201529
https://www.androidpolice.com/enable-sim-lock-android-phone-protection/

Re: SIM Security

Chalupa_Batman — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 18:56:48 GMT

Are we talking about your phone itself? If so what kind of phone do you have? Or are you talking about your account via the PM website?

Re: SIM Security

Dunkman — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 18:57:50 GMT

@WilliamF11

Public mobile's policy against SIM swaps is the 2FA authorization to get into your self service account. The key is to have a strong password for your PM account and the 2FA authorization helps prevent unauthorized access to your account to complete the SIM swap.

Here is some more information:

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/ab/get-help/articles/sim-swap-fraud

Re: SIM Security

WilliamF11 — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 19:04:25 GMT

Any personal phone. A lady had her SIM card swapped for another by a fraud that contacted her carrier. The carrier switched the service to the new SIM (fake). The security expert suggests carriers use a pin for each customer to verify before this can occur.

Re: SIM Security

Chalupa_Batman — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 19:16:07 GMT

I hate to say it, but there's a lot more involved here than a simple SIM swap. This fraudster had to have access to a lot of her information before doing so. If her information was easy to get, then that's on her. You just need to protect your information closer than she did.

Re: SIM Security

Dunkman — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 19:30:22 GMT

@WilliamF11

@WilliamF11 wrote:
Any personal phone. A lady had her SIM card swapped for another by a fraud that contacted her carrier. The carrier switched the service to the new SIM (fake). The security expert suggests carriers use a pin for each customer to verify before this can occur.

With Public mobile, the key is to prevent unauthorized access to your self service account. There is no phone number or live chat service with Public mobile. Private message for customer service agent is possible, but it would require the scammer to have access to your account number, last 4 digits of your credit card on file and address information, etc.

Re: SIM Security

WilliamF11 — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 09:42:11 GMT

I like your answer but I remain apprehensive since YouTube has many experts advising to use pin and never rely on 2FA. The experts advise that the scammers like 2FA because the SIM swap is handled by a (low paid) representative who may make mistake and proceed with the number transfer. They convince the representative to transfer the number. At that point 2FA is not useful.