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Secure my SIM card

sladem
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin
  • Hello. My wife recently had her Public Mobile account hacked, and the hacker changed her SIM card so that they now essentially controlled her phone and she lost access. Huge effect as they then proceeded to change passwords and access multiple sites. Long story short, we were able to reset the SIM and averted any financial losses. Advisor from Telus Security (PMs parent) put a PIN on her SIM so that it can't be changed so easily. I would like to do that now for my account, but haven't been able to figure out how to do it. Anyone know how this is done? I'd rather secure it now than wait until this hack happens to me too.
15 REPLIES 15

@susieque 

 

When Are Moderators Available And How Long Till I Get A Response?

 

During business hours, we strive to answer customer messages swiftly. You will often get an answer within an hour. During peak periods, you may need to wait up to 48 hours.

 

Moderators are available:

 

Monday to Friday from 8 AM to midnight Eastern time.

 

Saturday and Sunday from 8 AM to 10 PM Eastern time.

 

Taken from help article below.

 

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/on/get-help/articles/get-support#:~:text=During%20peak%20periods%2C%2....

susieque
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

Thanks for the tips, I've asked the mods... anyone know if they work weekends?


@susieque wrote:

Mine was hacked this morning, what a nightmare!!! I haven't heard back from support yet, but I'm getting a new SIM card later today. Any tips? Did you have any extra issues that I should be on the look out for?


Ask the mods if they can recover your sim card so you can save the one you are getting.


@susieque wrote:

Mine was hacked this morning, what a nightmare!!! I haven't heard back from support yet, but I'm getting a new SIM card later today. Any tips? Did you have any extra issues that I should be on the look out for?


@susieque 

Sorry to hear about your troubles.  It is getting more common these days.  

 

If you have access to your self service account, the key is to report your phone lost/stolen.  Change your PM self service account password to more difficult password.  

 

Make sure that the rest of your online financial accouts/password are safe.  Might also want to change also.  

 

Once you get your new SIM card, you can change the SIM number in your account.  

susieque
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

Mine was hacked this morning, what a nightmare!!! I haven't heard back from support yet, but I'm getting a new SIM card later today. Any tips? Did you have any extra issues that I should be on the look out for?

sladem
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

She didn't speak to anyone from Public Mobile, she was contacted by the Telus Privacy after sending an email and phone message to them as recommended by a Moderator. Telus was very helpful and unlocked her account (both self serve and community were locked for her).


@sladem wrote:

I assumed (maybe incorrectly) that the PIN would prevent replacing the SIM card number without first using the PIN.  My wife did this verbally over the phone with the advisor, not via any page or link.


The PIN on the SIM card is only for that specific SIM card. It's not need if someone switches to a different SIM card.  I'm also confused becase Public Mobile generally doesn't speak to customer over the phone.  

 

As for the PIN for your account, that also isn't needed to switch the active SIM card. All you need to know is the login for the self serve account to get that done.

sladem
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

I assumed (maybe incorrectly) that the PIN would prevent replacing the SIM card number without first using the PIN.  My wife did this verbally over the phone with the advisor, not via any page or link.


@Luddite wrote:

@sladem  "Advisor from Telus Security (PMs parent) put a PIN on her SIM so that it can't be changed so easily. I would like to do that now for my account, but haven't been able to figure out how to do it. "

 

Hopefully, someone who has the technical expertise will chime in; however, I suspect this is the normal SIM PIN that can only be removed witha PUK. It does protect the SIM itself but don't see how that prevents SIM jacking, as that simply replaces your current SIM with the criminal's using the Replace SIM function in self serve,.


I'm no expert but I'll chime in how that doesn't sound right. The PIN on a SIM card is set by the user. Its only purpsoe is to prevent someone from using the service without first entering the PIN. I don't see that as anything to do at all with porting a number out or changing the active SIM card on an account.  Let's not also forget that the swtiching to a new SIM card means that the PIN on the active SIM card will once again be 1234 after the SIM swap.

Anonymous
Not applicable

Funny how we all interpret differently. I was thinking it was the idea most recently suggested by gpixel4 a while ago that Telus might have done for the wife. Not just a SIM PIN.

Funny.

Luddite
Oracle
Oracle

@sladem  "Advisor from Telus Security (PMs parent) put a PIN on her SIM so that it can't be changed so easily. I would like to do that now for my account, but haven't been able to figure out how to do it. "

 

Hopefully, someone who has the technical expertise will chime in; however, I suspect this is the normal SIM PIN that can only be removed witha PUK. It does protect the SIM itself but don't see how that prevents SIM jacking, as that simply replaces your current SIM with the criminal's using the Replace SIM function in self serve,.


>>> ALERT: I am not a CSA. Je ne suis pas un Agent du soutien à la clientèle.

Anonymous
Not applicable

 @sladem 

Not here. It has been suggested. But things move at a snails pace around here. So have a better password. Don't give out personal information as easily as some people do.

At least it looks like we have a final confirmation for port out. But if someone is in your account anyway then they can just change the SIM to theirs and do anything they want after that and no one would know. Until you wake up the next morning with no service.

gpixel
Mayor / Maire

@sladem interesting! moderators cannot do it. you will need to ask the Telus advisor

 

I was hoping they would add this to the self serve account for the customers 

JK8
Mayor / Maire

@sladem wrote:
  • Hello. My wife recently had her Public Mobile account hacked, and the hacker changed her SIM card so that they now essentially controlled her phone and she lost access. Huge effect as they then proceeded to change passwords and access multiple sites. Long story short, we were able to reset the SIM and averted any financial losses. Advisor from Telus Security (PMs parent) put a PIN on her SIM so that it can't be changed so easily. I would like to do that now for my account, but haven't been able to figure out how to do it. Anyone know how this is done? I'd rather secure it now than wait until this hack happens to me too.

You should use a dedicated email username for your self service account. Also change the profile name from your real name and use a very good password.

Korth
Mayor / Maire

@sladem 

 

Locking the SIM card is buried somewhere in the phone's "security" settings. It's separate from the screen lock, settings lock, and any other device-locking options which might be offered.

 

Either dig around your phone's settings yourself or google how to lock the SIM on your phone brand/model.

 

I'm a tinfoil-hat paranoid sort of skeptic weirdo. So I also scrub off the unique SIM ID number printed onto the SIM card itself. People might advise against this but I honestly can't think of any reason I'd ever need to see that number again once the SIM card is activated. Combine it with a "screen lock" (so the phone can't be used by anyone without first entering a PIN) and a "settings lock" (so the settings can't be changed and "About this device..." can't report the device IMEI/SIMID/etc without first entering a PIN) and there's really no way for a casual opportunist to make use of the phone or to make use of the SIM card (in another phone).

 

Change all those PINs from time to time, especially whenever you think they may have been observed or "compromised". But don't forget them because you'll be locked out with no way to get back in (other than guessing your PIN like everyone else does).

 

4-digit numeric PIN is the standard. But most devices (and bank cards, etc) will accept 8 or 12 or 16 digits (and other characters/symbols) if you want to use them. 99% of us use 4-digit numeric PINs, so if your PIN doesn't conform to expectations then 99% of even the most persistent and tenacious thieves will automatically be thrown off.

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