WATCH OUT FOR UNAUTHORIZED PORTS/FRAUD

[maejestic]

This morning I received a text from alerting me of an unauthorized port. I didn't think it was PM, so I ignored it and didn't want to click any random links in fear of fraud. In the span of 5 minutes, my number was disconnected from the carrier and I could no longer access my account. Right now I'm able to comment here because my community login is different from the payment login. Currently still locked out of my main account.

They used my number to let themselves into my mobile banking apps through 2-step verification processes. They sent thousands of dollars to themselves to make unauthorized transactions and cash advances. I highly recommend everyone to change their passwords and to login directly to the PM website if you have any suspicious activity. Banks are lacking in staff at the moment and slow to respond. I'm lucky I was close to my bank and they were open!

Also, PM please update the security on your website.

[Anonymous]

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@feevilah wrote:

yes

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If you can log in to your self-serve then go to Change SIM and note the last 4 digits of the registered number. Compare that to the actual physical number on your SIM in your phone. If they're different then use the Lost/stolen function to suspend your service and then change your password.

If they are the same then is someone telling you to change your number? Don't. If you're talking to Moderator_Team with the blue icon next to their name then they should be able to help you.

Then go around to all your financial logins and check for any losses. And maybe change passwords too.

[darlicious]

@feevilah 

What has happened? Don't change your number yet. Was your sim card jacked? Changed in your account? If so did you change your password and report your phone lost? 

Edit: Have you contacted the moderators yet?

[feevilah]

apparently no one has ever seen this happen to this extreme before and i gave publuc mobile 2 days of forum discussions to solve but it cant be fixed

[feevilah]

i am now having to change my phone number i have had for 8 years. i have no choice. its awful

[feevilah]

yes

[Anonymous]

 @feevilah 

Are you able to log in to your account? Dial 611?

[feevilah]

Be careful! Public Mobile may think you are committing fraud when you try to upgrade your phone. ive been stuck 3 days with no phone and I cant even change to another company my number is blocked barred and i didnt do anything! Ive pm'd for 3 days. They dont know what theyre doing in more advanced support situations. Public Mobile please help me,please. i have Loved your service for so long. i have referred clients. No sims will work on any plan or phone tied to my number!

[Naepalm]

@kb_mv or even confirm with your PIN. But yes great suggestion! 

[hyT]

I totally agree with Kevenv's suggestion. That way, I would be looking out for the text messages and confirm that it is my intention to port out. 

If I did not initiate the port request, I might be sleeping or working and not even have my phone on. To have to respond to an unexpected text message "immediately" to stop an illegitimate SIM swap is really unreasonable.

Hope all the service providers can get their acts together to plug this security hole.

[kb_mv]

@computergeek541 maybe they should reverse the messaging and force you to reply if you want to port the number. IE: "if you authorized this port request please reply to this message. If you did not authorize/request this port, do nothing and your service will stay with us"

[computergeek541]

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@Luddite wrote:

PM's Fraud Protection - porting

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/on/get-help/articles/port-fraud-protection

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Unfortunately, with those messages, if ignored (just as at other carriers), the port will still go through.  If a moderator does not look at your message in time, your number will port any way.

[Luddite]

PM's Fraud Protection - porting

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/on/get-help/articles/port-fraud-protection

[Danchvn]

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@iliketotalk wrote:

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@Danchvn hi no when you set up auto pay all the info has to be set up in the payment section exactly the same as your credit card on file but the account itself could be for someone else for instance a family member your cc is just the payment method 

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Thanks @iliketotalk . I thought that was the case but couldn't remember from when I set up autopay. Didn't want to delete and redo my card to check when I know autopay appears to be working for me.

[Anonymous]

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@gblackma wrote:

@Naepalm I got this from @Luddite in another thread. It was mentioned that all PM cared about was the payment Credit/debit information and the alternate number. Then I believe @Anonymous pointed out that if you used vouchers and ignored autopay, well you get the picture.😉

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I don't get what you say I said. 🙂

I'll add that I have a reloadable prepaid Visa from my bank. I currently use it for mobile ordering apps. I use a different name for the app payment area as from what is registered for the card. It works fine. I just have to remember to say that name for the pick up.

To the topic: I also remember someone mentioning something about some new method being rolled out for the end of April. Now...this place isn't exactly great for announcing things so I guess we'll have to see if it has in fact come to pass when we hear from someone who has ported out.

[computergeek541]

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@hyT wrote:

I seem to remember reading a similar thread last month where someone mentioned that security improvement to prevent porting out or SIM swap fraud was expected by the end of April. Does anyone know when it will actually arrive in PM?

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I do not recall any official updates about this. As with any timeframes provided, they would have been estimates.

[hyT]

I seem to remember reading a similar thread last month where someone mentioned that security improvement to prevent porting out or SIM swap fraud was expected by the end of April. Does anyone know when it will actually arrive in PM?

[gblackma]

@Naepalm I got this from @Luddite in another thread. It was mentioned that all PM cared about was the payment Credit/debit information and the alternate number. Then I believe @Anonymous pointed out that if you used vouchers and ignored autopay, well you get the picture.😉

[Naepalm]

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@maejestic wrote:

I'm looking into changing my usernames now! I didn't think it was a big deal before, as it is easier to remember this way. Thank you for the info about reporting as stolen. I was unable to login to my account already when it happened.

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Contact the moderators to change your name on here. I try to warn new people of this and will usually message them to tell them to change their name, for this exact reason. 

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

EDIT: I just changed my name and did a one time charge to my account this was my new account name here and my credit card worked. This is a great IDEA @gblackma if this will 100% prevent a fraudulent port, then everyone should change their profile name to something else TBH. 

One issue I have with changing the name on your account is that when your credit card is charged it has to have the same details in your self serve account as on the credit card. And the result could be a rejected charge when trying to apply autopay. @gblackma would that not be an issue? Can an oracle please confirm this @Luddite @will13am @ShawnC13 

Note: Also, she can't get into her account to change what has been suggested. 

[iliketotalk]

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@gblackma wrote:

@sitsandgiggles contact the moderators and explain what happened. Make sure you give them both the correct number that you actually wanted to port as well the one you ported by accident. Click on the green questionmark in the white circle at the bottom right of your screen.  This connects to the autobot Simon.  Type moderator and follow the prompts to get to one (CLICK on "Account specific question" and  "No I want a human" and "Submit a ticket Click me!")
Once connected, you will be asked to log in again with your community user name and password.  Please do, this allows you to continue and send your message.
Check your private message sent box (click on the envelope top right of your screen) to make sure the message was sent. Also keep an eye on the envelope, the mods answer will show up there. Once it does, you will be asked to verify your self service account, with your password and login. Doing so allows the process to continue.
If you need to, you can also enable email notification to receive a private message notification sent to your email. Go to your community account > my settings > PREFERENCES > Private Messenger > enable "Receive email notifications for new private messages" > Save

Welcome to PM.Stay safe. 

@iliketotalk, I would have thought Goofy. And thanks for answering @Danchvn 's question for me.

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@gblackma ha ha yea I figured you might be sleeping lol

[gblackma]

@sitsandgiggles contact the moderators and explain what happened. Make sure you give them both the correct number that you actually wanted to port as well the one you ported by accident. Click on the green questionmark in the white circle at the bottom right of your screen.  This connects to the autobot Simon.  Type moderator and follow the prompts to get to one (CLICK on "Account specific question" and  "No I want a human" and "Submit a ticket Click me!")
Once connected, you will be asked to log in again with your community user name and password.  Please do, this allows you to continue and send your message.
Check your private message sent box (click on the envelope top right of your screen) to make sure the message was sent. Also keep an eye on the envelope, the mods answer will show up there. Once it does, you will be asked to verify your self service account, with your password and login. Doing so allows the process to continue.
If you need to, you can also enable email notification to receive a private message notification sent to your email. Go to your community account > my settings > PREFERENCES > Private Messenger > enable "Receive email notifications for new private messages" > Save

Welcome to PM.Stay safe. 

@iliketotalk, I would have thought Goofy. And thanks for answering @Danchvn 's question for me.

[Starshoot]

Thank you for the warning good sir!

[iliketotalk]

@Danchvn 

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@Danchvn wrote:

@gblackma 

I have a quick question. Would changing ones name in the My Account page affect the Autopay since the name on the account would differ from the Name on the credit card?

Thanks.

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@Danchvn hi no when you set up auto pay all the info has to be set up in the payment section exactly the same as your credit card on file but the account itself could be for someone else for instance a family member your cc is just the payment method 

[sitsandgiggles]

I accidentally ported someone's number and now I can't reach anyone to undo it

[maejestic]

I'm looking into changing my usernames now! I didn't think it was a big deal before, as it is easier to remember this way. Thank you for the info about reporting as stolen. I was unable to login to my account already when it happened.

[BearFBI]

@maejestic Its not necessarily PM's website. Its how you keep your information safe. If you expose your account # name and phone number that's enough to port your number out. My account is under a diffrent name Because I was stupid enough to set my name as my community name. If anyone wants to look me up on Google I wouldn't bother trying. Im nowhere over the internet. You might people with my name even from the same city as me but their not me. Lol I don't have any banking linked to my phone # either so it wouldn't be worth anyone's time.

[iliketotalk]

@gblackma  Dafney Duck? geez now I have to change my name🤣😱

[Danchvn]

@gblackma 

I have a quick question. Would changing ones name in the My Account page affect the Autopay since the name on the account would differ from the Name on the credit card?

Thanks.

[gblackma · Accepted solution]

Sorry to hear that this happened to you @maejestic. And thanks for the warning. To port from PM you need:

1. Number to port

2. Name on accounts. 

3. One of imei number, account number or pin.

A simple way to prevent fraudelent porting is to change your name on your self service account. Any name will do. Ie Dafney Duck. To immediately stop your number being ported , suspend your service by enabling the Lost/  Stolen phone feature in your self service account. Then come here and contact the moderators.

 Here's an article on the lost/ stolen phone feature. https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/on/get-help/articles/lost-or-stolen-phone

[Naepalm]

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@maejestic wrote:

This morning I received a text from alerting me of an unauthorized port. I didn't think it was PM, so I ignored it and didn't want to click any random links in fear of fraud. In the span of 5 minutes, my number was disconnected from the carrier and I could no longer access my account. Right now I'm able to comment here because my community login is different from the payment login. Currently still locked out of my main account.

They used my number to let themselves into my mobile banking apps through 2-step verification processes. They sent thousands of dollars to themselves to make unauthorized transactions and cash advances. I highly recommend everyone to change their passwords and to login directly to the PM website if you have any suspicious activity. Banks are lacking in staff at the moment and slow to respond. I'm lucky I was close to my bank and they were open!

Also, PM please update the security on your website.

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This is a very real problem, How did they gain access to your bank account though? Did you have an auto sign-in on your apps? Another good practice is to not use your phone for banking, as convenient or inconvenient as that is. I have also moved to use a physical two-step verification for many of my accounts through Yubic key. 

https://www.yubico.com/

https://www.yubico.com/works-with-yubikey/catalog/#protocol=all&usecase=password-management&key=all

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU GO TO THIS PRACTICE: 

two step phone verification is clearly flawed, or use your wife or partner's phone number as the two-step and vice versa.