Control Many Accounts?

[limabean]

Hi,

How can I control more than 1 account from just my end? I have to help my elderly family members with their payments and account management (their accounts already have my credit card) but this new 2 factor authentication and eversafe ID system is making it difficult to manage.

I can't link one email to multiple numbers for eversafe ID either. So getting the codes I have to login to multiple emails. Can 2fa be turned off? It used to be but now I don't see that option anywhere.

How can I manage these accounts under just my login details? Does public even have this function? 

[geogolem]

If you use a gmail account suchas myname@gmail.com

if you someone emails myname+grandma@gmail.com it will seem like a distinct email address, but all messages will still be received at the inbox corresponding to myname@gmail.com

Likewise with myname+grandpa@gmail.com etc.

In this fashion you can create a different eversafe ID with a seemingly unique email address, all of which will have the emails sent to the same myname@gmail.com

Just to be clear.. this is a feature of gmail, and will not work the same with other email addresses.

You could then setup filters in your gmail account, to redirect emails sent to the various "addresses" to separate folders if you so desired. You will still be able to see to which eversafe id each received email corresponds to, since the TO field of the received emails will show..

You can find more info about this here: https://gmail.googleblog.com/2008/03/2-hidden-ways-to-get-more-from-your.html

[DennyCrane]

@computergeek541 2FA is just one layer of protection. Another would be securing your account and your phone with a complex password/biometrics. And don't have your phone set to preview messages when locked! It amazes me how many people forgo security for a minor convenience.

[will13am]

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@softech wrote:

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@will13am wrote:

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  There is never spam message except...  

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... except good deals from PM.. LoL

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Let's not forget those heart stopping emails about how many point have been earned.  

[will13am]

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@computergeek541 wrote:

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@will13am wrote:

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@DennyCrane wrote:

If they don't need access to the email and account, you could just setup email aliases that all go to your primary email. Downside to that is the people who you are helping can't access them without your help. I do this for my kids who are too young for email. Not sure if/what free email providers offer this, but my paid Office 365 email gives me as many aliases as I want under my domain.

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I actually have email accounts dedicated to running the Public Mobile accounts.  It is super secure because the email address is not used anywhere else.  There is never spam message except...  

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That brings up an important point. 2FA is really all that secure.  If someone loses a phone and send the 2FA code to e-mail but the lost (or stolen device)  is logged into the e-mail account, Public Mobile will show the 2FA to anyone who is in posession o that device.  Furthermore, especially if the Public Mobile account is using hte same e-mail address as associated with the device's app store login, Public Mobile would actually send the person of a lost or stolen device insturctions who to gain unauthorized acess too the account and change the password.

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Since the email address is only for 2FA codes, why is there a need to include that email account in the phone that can receive 2FA SMS?  

[computergeek541]

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@will13am wrote:

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@DennyCrane wrote:

If they don't need access to the email and account, you could just setup email aliases that all go to your primary email. Downside to that is the people who you are helping can't access them without your help. I do this for my kids who are too young for email. Not sure if/what free email providers offer this, but my paid Office 365 email gives me as many aliases as I want under my domain.

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I actually have email accounts dedicated to running the Public Mobile accounts.  It is super secure because the email address is not used anywhere else.  There is never spam message except...  

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That brings up an important point. 2FA is really all that secure.  If someone loses a phone and send the 2FA code to e-mail but the lost (or stolen device)  is logged into the e-mail account, Public Mobile will show the 2FA to anyone who is in posession o that device.  Furthermore, especially if the Public Mobile account is using hte same e-mail address as associated with the device's app store login, Public Mobile would actually send the person of a lost or stolen device insturctions who to gain unauthorized acess too the account and change the password.

[softech]

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@will13am wrote:

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  There is never spam message except...  

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... except good deals from PM.. LoL

[will13am]

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@DennyCrane wrote:

If they don't need access to the email and account, you could just setup email aliases that all go to your primary email. Downside to that is the people who you are helping can't access them without your help. I do this for my kids who are too young for email. Not sure if/what free email providers offer this, but my paid Office 365 email gives me as many aliases as I want under my domain.

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I actually have email accounts dedicated to running the Public Mobile accounts.  It is super secure because the email address is not used anywhere else.  There is never spam message except...  

[computergeek541]

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@DennyCrane wrote:

@computergeek541 Great tip, I've noticed that too. The only way I found to solve it was to log out, then go into settings --> apps on my phone and force stop and clear the cache for the app. It's better to use the website when managing multiple accounts.

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It's not acceptable that logging out doesn't really log out.  This is a security/privacy issue.  Some customers may be using shared devices, so it's not just a matter of a family member seeing details from the wrong account.

[DennyCrane]

@computergeek541 Great tip, I've noticed that too. The only way I found to solve it was to log out, then go into settings --> apps on my phone and force stop and clear the cache for the app. It's better to use the website when managing multiple accounts.

[computergeek541]

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@limabean wrote:

Thank you, the email tip is a good idea. It's too bad PM doesn't have any functions for managing accounts. 

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If you're using hte app, you'll also want to be very careful that you're accessing the intended account.  There's a severe issue with the app that causes it to load the informaiton from the previously logged into account.  While I have not tested whether making changes or payments goes to the correct account, the app will incorrect display information from one of your other accounts if you logged in to a different one previously.  So, if you're using the app, make sure to force close the app before logging in.

[DennyCrane]

If they don't need access to the email and account, you could just setup email aliases that all go to your primary email. Downside to that is the people who you are helping can't access them without your help. I do this for my kids who are too young for email. Not sure if/what free email providers offer this, but my paid Office 365 email gives me as many aliases as I want under my domain.

[limabean]

Thank you, the email tip is a good idea. It's too bad PM doesn't have any functions for managing accounts. 

[softech]

@limabean 

how many accounts you manage?

if not too many, you can change the phone number to receive 2FA to couple different numbers you have access, maybe use VoIP app        

Another trick is via email., if you have access to the email addresses of those accounts you manage,  make a forwarding rules, any email from PM for the 2FA related, forward to your own email address.  This trick works well (I helped my friend to manage his family of 4 accounts).

[will13am · Accepted solution]

@limabean , unfortunately 2FA cannot be turned off.  Trusted devices can be set but it turns itself off at will.  It has always been a requirement that each account must have its own unique email address.  So it would as simple as you having access to all the email addresses associated with the accounts.  2FA codes can be sent to email although the default is to SMS.  That is the way I manage a bunch of accounts.