Announcement Hacking Warning

[UsefulIdiot]

Not germane to this forum but I try to be "Useful" so here we go. Today I got hacked. Someone was able to steal my cell phone number - i.e. they got it ported to a new cell phone, switching between Rogers and Telus. Apparently "porting" is easy to do - they used the name "John Henry" and it did not trip any fraud detection. From my business website they got my email address and cell #, got the cell # assigned to a new phone, did a password reset on my email, found a PayPal account associated with that email and reset the PayPal account password. They did not need to know my original passwords to reset them, they just supplied the cell number to which verification code texts were sent. I got things sorted out but it took all day. A few thousand dollars were added to my PayPal account (stolen from a company in Ottawa) before I was able to get it frozen and my cell phone number taken off-line. Apparently the only way to stop this is to contact your cell provider and instruct them to make your number non-portable. Then if you do want to change carriers there will be a much higher level of scrutiny. Apparently this fraud is rampant in Canada. The person I dealt with at Rogers said he handles 12 cases like this a day! Fortunately I have not lost any money, but I have had to get a new sim card, reset all of my passwords and spent all day on the phone dealing with different companies. The most difficult procedure was resetting the password on my email account - because at the time my number had been hijacked I had to supply the email addresses and subject lines of four recent emails. Fortunately, I had left the email account open on my laptop.

So, if you have cell # associated with security protocols make sure the number is not portable.

 

[OG_funguy]

Wow...good to know. Thx.

 

[cupcrazy]

do you have to call the cell provider to change the phone into non portable?

 

[altaguetta]

At Rogers anything can happen.

 

[UsefulIdiot]

do you have to call the cell provider to change the phone into non portable?

Yes you do.

 

[Charli3]

These scams are getting more and more elaborate

 

[sy barite]

At Rogers anything can happen.

So true. It's like the true competition between Telcos is to determine which is the most able to piss you off through incompetence.

Thanks to the OP for this info.

 

[WizardofStyle]

Many thanks.

 

[Common_good]

And is why everyone should be using 2-step authentication with an app like Authy. None of this would have been possible if you had this for all of you accounts.

 

[UsefulIdiot]

And is why everyone should be using 2-step authentication with an app like Authy. None of this would have been possible if you had this for all of you accounts.

You are correct, live and learn - I had no idea that a cell # could be stolen!

 

[cupcrazy]

I don't pick up calls with phone numbers I don't recognize. I don't call them back either.

 

[bbtpongs]

I don't pick up calls with phone numbers I don't recognize. I don't call them back either.

This issue isn't related to that.

The OP is referring to something known as a "port out scam".

Criminals Can Steal Your Phone Number. Here's How to Stop Them

Your phone number is not as secure as you think.

www.howtogeek.com

Archived - Rogers Community

Rogers Community Forums

communityforums.rogers.com

 

[Hiiper]

Not germane to this forum but I try to be "Useful" so here we go. Today I got hacked. Someone was able to steal my cell phone number - i.e. they got it ported to a new cell phone, switching between Rogers and Telus. Apparently "porting" is easy to do - they used the name "John Henry" and it did not trip any fraud detection. From my business website they got my email address and cell #, got the cell # assigned to a new phone, did a password reset on my email, found a PayPal account associated with that email and reset the PayPal account password. They did not need to know my original passwords to reset them, they just supplied the cell number to which verification code texts were sent. I got things sorted out but it took all day. A few thousand dollars were added to my PayPal account (stolen from a company in Ottawa) before I was able to get it frozen and my cell phone number taken off-line. Apparently the only way to stop this is to contact your cell provider and instruct them to make your number non-portable. Then if you do want to change carriers there will be a much higher level of scrutiny. Apparently this fraud is rampant in Canada. The person I dealt with at Rogers said he handles 12 cases like this a day! Fortunately I have not lost any money, but I have had to get a new sim card, reset all of my passwords and spent all day on the phone dealing with different companies. The most difficult procedure was resetting the password on my email account - because at the time my number had been hijacked I had to supply the email addresses and subject lines of four recent emails. Fortunately, I had left the email account open on my laptop.

So, if you have cell # associated with security protocols make sure the number is not portable.

Thanks for the instructions lol
joking

SS7 is less work

 

[Deleted member 73937]

Did the person you dealt with at Rogers give good service? Or is it a case of YMMV?

 

[Deleted member 73937]

But seriously....thanks

 

[UsefulIdiot]

Did the person you dealt with at Rogers give good service? Or is it a case of YMMV?

Service was good - the guy deals with the same issue several times a day.

 

[Deleted member 73937]

Did you get DFK? lmao......sorry....i couldnt resist

 

[Bigusdickus]

Service was good - the guy deals with the same issue several times a day.

Thanks for the info as usual you are helpful and on point!
Cheers

 

[cupcrazy]

Rogers customer service is shit. They told me to mail the modem back to them. Canada Post claimed it has successfully delivered back to Rogers and I am still charged for the modem. When I call them, they said they still haven't receive it. I was like wtf.