[Swordmaker]

How to keep your phone number and SIM card secure. . . — PING!

Apple and Android Phone Security Tip
Ping!

The latest Apple/Mac/iOS Pings can be found by searching Keyword "ApplePingList" on FreeRepublic's Search.

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me

[Swordmaker]

I got a phone call today which said it was from ME, using my own phone number. When I answered, a voice saying it was from AT&T announced that my phone account was "being flagged for security purposes" and then asked "Please provide us with the last four digits of your social security number." I said "Like HELL I will!"

Whoever it was then hung up.

I immediately called 611 on my iPhone and waited six or so minutes to talk to someone at AT&T. They informed me, as I suspected, they NEVER call using the customer's phone number, and will NEVER ask for any portion of the customer's SSN. They only call from an AT&T number which is obvious on an AT&T device. It was a scammer phishing for my SSN and other identifying information.

Also, my girlfriend has had THREE of her credit card accounts receive requests for NEW CARDS to be sent to addresses out of state in the past two weeks. This is the result of that 143 million customer hack of Equifax. In each case, the credit card companies called her to check with her AFTER sending out the new cards. This included department store cards! Why not check BEFORE letting the horses out of the barn? She's had to put a credit hold her accounts and now also on the titles of her several properties she owns. . . and has gotten a Lifelock membership. I've done the same because my data was compromised as well. Damn Equifax!

[ransomnote]

bookmark

[gattaca]

bmp

[lysie]

For later. Thanks.

[Maskot]

My hubby just had his eBay account spoofed and almost $700 charged to his credit card. Called eBay and they treated it like a it was a daily occurrence. Took us 6 hours to straighten it out between eBay, PayPal, credit card company and the merchants. No loss to us but only because we discovered it almost immediately. I believe eBay was hacked cuz that’s the only place the cc number was stored. Any news on eBay being hacked? Nope.

We’ll never use eBay again.

[McGruff]

Interesting.

[sauropod]

do this.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Bump.

[taxcontrol]

I am a professional hacker. In other words, I get paid, usually by banks, to try and break into their IT systems. Home WiFi, cell WiFi and cell Bluetooth are BY FAR, the easiest vector for a targeted attack.

Having said that, the easiest way to protect yourself from an external cell hack is - turn off WiFi and Bluetooth when you are not using them!

[AllAmericanGirl44]

Bkmk

[zeugma]

It is amazing how much stuff is now linked to your phone and email. When my wife passed a couple of years ago, I already had most of the information I needed to get all the various accounts and stuff, but some stuff caught be by surprise. Getting passwords to various websites that she had connected to her phone were easy, as you pretty much just had them send reset codes either to the phone, or her email accounts. One of the things that I did actually end up having issues with was the pin code discussed in the article with the phone company. I didn't know it. It took a bit of wrestling with them to get it reset.

What they are talking about here can be pretty devastating. If someone can hijack your phone number, they can probably get access to your email, and given both of those things, they can essentially do anything.

[RightField]

Bookmark

[babyfreep]

pinging you, dude

[OliverTwik]

good information and helpful video