Be careful with giving out your PM number as a referral.

[thirstyturtle18]

My friend got a request for a PM referral (on reddit) over the weekend and today they learned that the person who asked for the PM referral number didn't want it to join PM. The person who requested the referral instead used my friends number to unlock/receive the Koodo migration offer behind my friend's back, and thus their number is no longer eligible for future Koodo offers. Referee's beware!

Time for PM to stop using personal and private information (ie. your personal phone number) as the code used to refer people. Making it a system generated code would be much more private and secure. Much the way Koodo does the referral system.

[szymon247]

I do think referrals should be codes (with a number option still as a fall-back for the closest ones for whom it would be easier to provide our numbers during registration), but also I think the problem is with Koodo here. There are many people who know that my number is with PM and have my number, whether friends, people at work or other casual acquaintances where it pops up during chat (which is also word of mouth marketing for PM, something they'd like to actually encourage). If that fact opened me to any abuse, that is not a normal situation and shows the Koodo process is seriously flawed.

[dna2016]

@thirstyturtle18, wow, thanks for the heads up on this, that's pretty crazy.  But then again, I'm not sure if this is a normal thing to just give your number to a stranger, hoping to get a credit out of it.  As much as I want to save a buck here and there, but I'm not going to just willfully give any of my info to some person I've never met randomly just to save a buck.  I'd say if this is something people are doing on a regular, then don't get too made when your info is used for something you did not authorize it for.  If CRA, big banks, equifax, and the like are getting hacked for your info, then don't be surprised if there are bad people on these other forums like reddit looking to take advantage of people too.  Suggest limit your referrals to people you know, and/or trust.

[thirstyturtle18]

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@Watoko wrote:

For example, the person who stole your friend's migration offer might have switched his crappy over priced Rogers plan to Koodo. Koodo (a part of Telus), now has an additional post-paid subscriber.

Of course, this is just a gross assumption, but I am sure that this happens to some extent. The customers are likely to be coming from other providers to take the deal.

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Oh, yeah, that would make sense. What we are probably going to see is very aggressive offers coming from FIDO and Virgin during the back to school period coming up to counter-act these migrations to Koodo/Telus.

[Watoko]

For example, the person who stole your friend's migration offer might have switched his crappy over priced Rogers plan to Koodo. Koodo (a part of Telus), now has an additional post-paid subscriber.

Of course, this is just a gross assumption, but I am sure that this happens to some extent. The customers are likely to be coming from other providers to take the deal.

[thirstyturtle18]

How is Telus stealing customers exactly? PM and Koodo are both their brands, so it's really just neutral shifting of their own customers.

[Watoko]

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@Effort wrote:

I feel like Koodo is going to ignore everyone's complaints because they're making bank off this deal, regardless of whether it's legitimate or fraudulent.

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Exactly this. Unfortunately, the goal is to increase their post-paid wireless subscriber base, and this fraudulent new account does exactly that so I doubt they will cancel the account.

Another method to ensure the legitimacy of the PM-Koodo migration offers would be to simply make it that you MUST port over your number. Only the account holder knows the information necessary to port over, thus solving this problem, and also prevents people from cheating the system and opening/selling additional lines.

But again, as long as Telus is low-key stealing subscribers from Rogers and Bell, they'll just continue to let it be.

[computergeek541]

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@Effort wrote:

I feel like Koodo is going to ignore everyone's complaints because they're making bank off this deal, regardless of whether it's legitimate or fraudulent.

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I think that they might be willing to restore a Public Mobile customer's eligibility for such offers, but I really can't see them cancelling the service of the new Koodo customer or making that person choose a new plan, at least not on a wide-scale basis.  Carriers do sometimes do audits of the plans that customers are on but I believe that sometimes even if a carrier catches customers red-handed on a plans that they aren't eligible for, they might just look the other way. 

[Effort]

I feel like Koodo is going to ignore everyone's complaints because they're making bank off this deal, regardless of whether it's legitimate or fraudulent.

[Orz]

^^Well said.

The real issue is on Koodo migration promo only allows the same phone number used once, where PM's referral one can give away his/her number over and over. For referral the phone number definitely is the most convenient way to refer many people.

Koodo's migration promo should use PM account number instead, as the promo is really intended for the person owning the line. While the phone number can become well-known over the years without being given it away to any strangers.

[computergeek541]

I don't see the way that Public Mobile's system works as the issue.  It was only ever intended to be used to refer people already known anyway. And making person being referred providing the phone number is proabably deliberate as a ways for Public Mobile to keep customers honest.  Someone can choose to give out the phone number or not.  As already said, making customers think twice about giving out a phone number could be a control measure.

I see the real issue as being Koodo's eligibility check. Anyone who knows your phone number can use up your migration offer.

[smp99]

Someone posted a link to Kijiji on RFD for people wanting referrals. Many of the Kijiji ads people posted their PM number. Not good

[thirstyturtle18]

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@smp99 wrote:

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@thirstyturtle18 wrote:

That would work, but still people would end up with your personal phone number. I still would prefer an more private method.

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Yes but the referral process is supposed to be for family and friends who you likely wouldn’t mind having your number. But I agree something more private would be better

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Where does it say you have to know a referral personally? I have never seen that mentioned on this site in any terms. There is an entire reddit subreddit all about PM referrals. Also what about people whom you would consider to be more of an acquaintance more than a friend, and you don't really want to give them your number?

[thirstyturtle18]

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@will13am wrote:

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When my friend went to the Koodo webstore and entered in his PM number, it said he had already used that number for this promotion. This happened a day after giving a referral on the reddit site.

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Got it.  Your friend should definitely pursue this and reverse the theft of the migration offer even if they don't use it.  The guilty party needs to face the music.

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Yeah, it's more about the principle of the matter. My firend wants to stay with PM anyway...but you never know if Koodo will come out with a deal too good to not take.

[smp99]

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@thirstyturtle18 wrote:

That would work, but still people would end up with your personal phone number. I still would prefer an more private method.

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Yes but the referral process is supposed to be for family and friends who you likely wouldn’t mind having your number. But I agree something more private would be better

[will13am]

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@thirstyturtle18 wrote:

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@will13am wrote:

@thirstyturtle18, I would be interested in knowing how your friend found out positively their number was used to complete an illegitimate migration to Koodo?  I don't recall Koodo ever contacting customers via the eligible number ever.  I have received past offers which I took part in and never was I ever contacted via phone number, just email address that I registered for the account.

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When my friend went to the Koodo webstore and entered in his PM number, it said he had already used that number for this promotion. This happened a day after giving a referral on the reddit site.

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Got it.  Your friend should definitely pursue this and reverse the theft of the migration offer even if they don't use it.  The guilty party needs to face the music.

[thirstyturtle18]

That would work, but still people would end up with your personal phone number. I still would prefer an more private method.

[smp99 · Accepted solution]

Phone number for referral is ok I guess. The Koodo method is way better. But all you need to do is change the migration method. All you need to change is enter PM phone number plus last 4 digits of PM account number. If you plan to port anyways ( as expected ) you would have the account number handy 

[thirstyturtle18]

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@will13am wrote:

@thirstyturtle18, I would be interested in knowing how your friend found out positively their number was used to complete an illegitimate migration to Koodo?  I don't recall Koodo ever contacting customers via the eligible number ever.  I have received past offers which I took part in and never was I ever contacted via phone number, just email address that I registered for the account.

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When my friend went to the Koodo webstore and entered in his PM number, it said he had already used that number for this promotion. This happened a day after giving a referral on the reddit site.

[ShawnC13]

Either way it should be reported to koodo.  They can tracetrac new Koodo account through which number was used I am sure and cancel it out that way

[will13am]

@thirstyturtle18, I would be interested in knowing how your friend found out positively their number was used to complete an illegitimate migration to Koodo?  I don't recall Koodo ever contacting customers via the eligible number ever.  I have received past offers which I took part in and never was I ever contacted via phone number, just email address that I registered for the account.

[thirstyturtle18]

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@will13am wrote:

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@Dunkman wrote:

@thirstyturtle18

Some people are just so inconsiderate and take advantage of others.  On RFD, there was also a public mobile phone number generator that some people were using.  

I hope that your friend is able to get their promo and get Koodo to ban the other person who stole the phone number.  

Another way for Koodo to do these migrations is to include phone number and account number.  That would work better

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Phone number and account number is a really dangerous combination.  Together somebody could take your number, not just the migration opportunity.  The safe method is a code.

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I don't think he meant giving out the account number for a referral, I think he's suggesting using the account number for the migration promotion, which should only be for the PM account holder to see anyway.

[will13am]

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@Dunkman wrote:

@thirstyturtle18

Some people are just so inconsiderate and take advantage of others.  On RFD, there was also a public mobile phone number generator that some people were using.  

I hope that your friend is able to get their promo and get Koodo to ban the other person who stole the phone number.  

Another way for Koodo to do these migrations is to include phone number and account number.  That would work better

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Phone number and account number is a really dangerous combination.  Together somebody could take your number, not just the migration opportunity.  The safe method is a code.

[thirstyturtle18]

No, that is someone else...and just goes to show you how widespread and insecure this referral method is.

[srlawren]

@thirstyturtle18 is your friend @hocuspocus?  https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Plans-Add-Ons/Public-Mobile-s-Koodo-Offer/m-p/264467/... I ask becuase it's the same story almost down to the same wording.  

[thirstyturtle18]

Could the Mods here take this as a suggestion to make the referral process more private and secure? I'm hessitant to sign up referrals now.

[Dunkman]

Sorry, used the wrong terms.  Can't steal somebody's Public mobile number.  However, used that number inappropriately, so the orginal owner of the number can't get the migration offer.  Still a lousy thing to do....

[thirstyturtle18]

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@computergeek541 wrote:From the first post, I don't believe the number was stolen and ported out, only that the Koodo migration offer eligibility.  It is possible for someone to signup for one of these Koodo plans withouy porting in the phone number that was used for eligibility in rhe first place.

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Yes, you are 100% correct. That is what the situation that happened here is about.

[computergeek541]

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@ShawnC13 wrote:

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@thirstyturtle18 wrote:

My friend got a request for a PM referral (on reddit) over the weekend and today they learned that the person who asked for the PM referral number didn't want it to join PM. The person who requested the referral instead used my friends number to unlock/receive the Koodo migration offer behind my friend's back, and thus their number is no longer eligible for future Koodo offers. Referee's beware!

Time for PM to stop using personal and private information (ie. your personal phone number) as the code used to refer people. Making it a system generated code would be much more private and secure. Much the way Koodo does the referral system.

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have your friend contact the public mobile moderators and get in touch with Koodo there should be an easy way to prove that this wasn't it invalid port and actually theft of a number.  Koodo should easily be able to cancel that migration plan and give your friend their number back on the public mobile network

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From the first post, I don't believe the number was stolen and ported out, only that the Koodo migration offer eligibility.  It is possible for someone to signup for one of these Koodo plans withouy porting in the phone number that was used for eligibility in rhe first place.

[thirstyturtle18]

Sorry, maybe I wasn't too clear to begin with. Their number wasn't stolen (as you would need an account number, account PIN, etc to do a full port), but rather their number was used to gain access to the Koodo migration promotion, meaning that my friend will not be able to get these Koodo offers anymore. Their number is still with PM, as when you sign up with Koodo, you do have the option to get a new number instead of porting the PM number, which is what this scammer must have done.

[ShawnC13]

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@thirstyturtle18 wrote:

My friend got a request for a PM referral (on reddit) over the weekend and today they learned that the person who asked for the PM referral number didn't want it to join PM. The person who requested the referral instead used my friends number to unlock/receive the Koodo migration offer behind my friend's back, and thus their number is no longer eligible for future Koodo offers. Referee's beware!

Time for PM to stop using personal and private information (ie. your personal phone number) as the code used to refer people. Making it a system generated code would be much more private and secure. Much the way Koodo does the referral system.

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have your friend contact the public mobile moderators and get in touch with Koodo there should be an easy way to prove that this wasn't it invalid port and actually theft of a number.  Koodo should easily be able to cancel that migration plan and give your friend their number back on the public mobile network