Watch out if You Are Transferring Your Mobile Number. New Procedure!

LRobc on 17/09/2019 - 16:57
Last edited 18/09/2019 - 13:07 by 1 other user

I've been happily sim slotting for a few years, based on the sheer number of posts, I'm guessing I'm not the only one.

According to telstra, the govt changed the law recently (1st September) meaning that number transfers have to be verified with the old sim card.

For me it means my number is stuck in limbo, as I've dumped the old sim, and therefore wont receive the transfer link.

I need to replace the sim of my old provider to transfer to a new one.

Balls.

Mod: See previous discussion Kogan Porting Now Requires SMS Confirmation

Mobile

Comments

  • SJ50 on 17/09/2019 - 17:21
    +6

    I am sorry for all the trouble you are facing, but this is good move to curb the fraud.
    I say barring of receiving SMS for 24 hour after porting number to new provider should also implemented.

    • Robc on 17/09/2019 - 17:24
      +1

      Yeah, she said it was for fraud. Sadly the telstra shop I went to didn't mention that I needed my old sim, they just escalated it. I mean i was in store with my license… there should be something they can do.ive been in limbo.for 11 days. For three days in a row I've been told itll be 24 hours. Bah.

      • pantsparty on 17/09/2019 - 19:01
        +2

        I agree it’s annoying for you but I prefer it this way. I’m sure lots of criminals have fake drivers licences.

  • Thrawn on 17/09/2019 - 17:33

    you know you can get a replacement sim for your old service..

    • JIMB0 on 17/09/2019 - 17:53

      I hope they've tightened up on checks there as a few years ago I got one with just name, address and DOB.

    • poohduck on 17/09/2019 - 20:27
      +1

      "I need to replace the sim of my old provider to transfer to a new one."

  • crentist on 17/09/2019 - 20:12
    +3

    This is inconvenient but good. I recently listened to an ep of ReplyAll podcast about how sim jacking is a very common identity theft method (at least in usa). Apparently people on OGusernames use this method a lot to hijack user accounts, including getting into banks and whatever. Some brief mention of them selling someone house from underneath him or something, pretty scary.
    Banks might be kinda secured, but if you had any crypto it'd be very quick and easy to lose it before you realised anything was up.

    It's weird, we expect a lot of security in the stuff we use online, and think that tying it to our phones with 2FA improves it more. But our phone numbers aren't secure, we hand them out to everyone, and overlook what a security risk that is. No need to guess passwords if you can hijack 2FA. And it would be super easy to hijack a number if you wanted to.

    Probably the only way to keep a secure 2FA number secure would be a separate number, that you don't share with anyone, even family.
    There are better 2FA methods anyway, but they all have their own issues. Glaring security hole is a pretty serious one though.

    • RockyRaccoon on 18/09/2019 - 01:10
      -1

      What the FA, is a 2FA?

      • crentist on 18/09/2019 - 02:37
        +1

        2 factor authentication
        basically you log into a website and get a code sent to your phone, to prove you know the password AND have access to the registered phone number
        there are other ways of doing the same thing (eg 2fa code generating apps and hardware. some banks used to send out little 2fa devices with lcd screens required to log in to their websites)

        trouble is if you forget the password, often you can reset it using the 2fa code (and maybe some personal details). which basically means someone could hijack your number, then potentially "prove" they are you because they can get the 2fa code and reset your passwords and wreak havoc.
        i dunno how easy itd be to get into most things, but it seems like a good idea to "pretend" to forget your passwords and figure out what hoops you have to jump through, and if they are really that difficult to bypass

        it just happens that phone numbers were very insecure, at least before these new laws, however they work

  • [Deactivated] on 17/09/2019 - 20:31
    -5

    Excellent, will also stop the tight arse sim swappers with nothing better to do.

  • cloudy on 17/09/2019 - 20:33

    Can someone explain what “. Verified with the old sim” means?

    So, if I’m porting from say Telstra to Kogan, how does Kogan verify my old sim?

    • dcep on 17/09/2019 - 20:36

      you'll get sms on your Telstra sim , asking you to reply "YES" to initiate porting to Kogan

      • cloudy on 18/09/2019 - 22:25

        ah ok, so basically you need to still have sim in phone that's active and can SMS.

        Cheers dude

  • SnoozeAndLose on 17/09/2019 - 20:35
    +3

    Don't understand that if you are transfering your number shouldn't you wait until the signal goes out on the old SIM then use the new SIM?

    • Robc on 17/09/2019 - 21:33

      I never did, just swapped and went. Was easy with a driver's license. Never had it not work.

      • SnoozeAndLose on 17/09/2019 - 21:59

        I am doing the same, wehn I do sim hopping with very cheap sim, normally to do it 1 or 2 days prior or at least on a working day and wait for the carrier to process the transfer.

  • mbck on 17/09/2019 - 21:49
    +2

    1 day of inconvenience vs months of time wasting and stress to get your identity, your number, your life back…

  • RockyRaccoon on 18/09/2019 - 01:14

    Why would you dump an old sim, before you got the new one activated?

    • Robc on 18/09/2019 - 06:26

      Well I actually kept it…for a little while. ;) sadly it's small and gone now. I'll have to go to aldi, buy another, transfer it then port. Bah. I've been doing it for 3 years, never an issue before. What it really means is that if you lose your phone, you need to replace the sim, rather than just transfer to a new provider with ID. my personal case is just a bit unlucky.

      • RockyRaccoon on 18/09/2019 - 07:08

        Ok, I still don’t understand why you dumped it, until the new sim was active, if you want the number, unless you have friends etc, that know your phone isn’t going to be active for the same period.

        As for switching, I fully understand, go where the savings are, you are an ozbargainer like the rest of us - if you don’t you could lose your membership 😀

        However given as others know the security issues with low life’s, hijacking phones, I accept that while in some cases it’s going to be inconvenient, with a lost phone, it’s nothing compared to losing your longtime number to a scammer, and maybe life savings if they get into your accounts. That’s no bargain. 😟

        Overall though, I thank you for the post so I know what to be aware of should I need to switch again. 👏🏽

  • jimbobaus on 18/09/2019 - 06:42
    +2

    new law?
    Not law a self imposed regulation that was agreed upon by all the carriers.

    It literally costs the carriers millions a year in time spent recovering illegally ported numbers
    stealing a number is the first step in identity theft as they can use your number to verify themselves with your bank etc

    I think this is a good thing and LONG OVERDUE

    Telstra is also VERY late to this party

    Vodafone, Kogan, Amaysim and others have been doing this for months

    • Robc on 18/09/2019 - 10:19
      +1

      It was described to me as a new law. Maybe the indian call centre lady who works for telstra used the wrong term. Either way…

    • Robc on 18/09/2019 - 13:16

      Yep, didn't see that. Annoying that before aldi would transfer to my new sim, I had to have credit on the account. So now I've got a new sim, with 15 dollar credit, and my sim I was transferring to becomes a bit useless… yay.

  • DollaNsense on 18/09/2019 - 22:18

    I don't think its targeted at criminals but more of authentications fraud prevention as some stated here, Criminals do not use Oz sims anymore they get their sims from o'seas and roam it here

  • apokalypsez on 22/09/2019 - 13:37
    +1

    they need to have this code input as part of activation…after go though activation have option for sms code on website..there's alot of people out of credit/expire sims.

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