Watch out for SIM Swap Scam , Also Known as Port-out Scam or SIM Splitting
In the News
When i read this article i realised how easy it can be to lose money from your bank account via your mobile despite numerous security checks and levels by the bank
We are all encouraged to use mobile banking apps nowadays and expect the security to be in place to prevent scams
But clearly this is not the case here , it seems the criminals are always one step ahead
This scam is known as port-out scam , SIM splitting, simjacking or SIM swapping
So if you lose your mobile services anytime double check the scammers don't have access to your phone
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The number of times I have found phones on the bus and an I pad on the common which were full of people's personal details (bank included).I return them always to very relieved persons who have never so much as offered me a box of chocolates in return. I contacted one person immediately and waited nearly an hour for her to come and redeem it. I won't put my banking app on my phone for this very reason.I carry card and cash which is risky enough.
MelissaLee1 I am the same M, i have my bank details on the laptop but not on the mobile, too risky
I don't have any banking app on my phone and my mobile provider doesn't do virtual sims as far as I know its the cheapskate RWG service. Looking at that article she uploaded a huge amount of personal information to do with renting her home that seems to be the cause.
I don't like the way she had to have a security check which meant a lot of private information was at risk. I had a situation with facebook where someone abroad managed to get into my account and they asked me for quite detailed scans of important information to get back into my account and prove it was mine so I just abandoned the account as I was not interested in sending them such personal details. I set up another facebook account under a different email address but it put me off facebook knowing I could lose the account at any time. I really only use it for marketplace anyway.
telmel Just thinking about this, in the past I've emailed some personal information which on it's own is not dangerous but perhaps with other emails could form a bigger picture about me that could make me at risk. So I may get into the habit now of once sending such emails delete them from my gmail account permanently.
Another thing that annoys me is security checks that rely on your mobile phone. I'm not someone who always has a mobile phone with me and hate these security checks I'd rather have a secure code to input not linked to a device. These virtual sims means this type of security check is now far less secure anyway so its doubly annoying.
BonzoBanana I get the security checks usually when i have deleted cookies , mainly from my online bank B, they usually send me an sms with a code and you are wise to be cautious about e mail information, i got hacked once and they got into my e mail account , luckily not much damage was caused before i realised and managed to change my password
I never store any highly sensitive info there if i can help it, and never passwords , thats a given
telmel I guess landline security checks are far more secure but less and less people are using landlines and they are moving to a digital infrastructure soon which maybe will be less secure, not sure.
Regarding the SMS security check I guess if we don't get it we will be worried, it may have gone to a virtual sim and our bank accounts could be about to be emptied.
So much to think about nowadays regarding your own financial security.
BonzoBanana I have been ripped off no less than six times on Marketplace so won't/don't use that either.
Quite worrying, I have banking apps on my phone I'd never use a virtual SIM anyway
Chase is a bit of a nightmare to login for the customers themselves (and if you have facial paralysis it's even worse as it requires you to smile) so the sim hijacking thing alone wouldn't be enough in this case.
I hope I am safe from this one as I don't have any bank or payment details on my phone. Only on my tablet which never leaves my house. Online banking is pretty much compulsory so I damn well hope my details are safe!
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