Catch Connect - Porting ID Not Matching Account ID - Unable to Port out

Hey guys,

In June 2019, my dad ported out from Amaysim to Catch Connect on a 12-month SIM plan. I remember helping him setting up his Catch Connect account.
At the time, I used an existing Catch Connect account (under my email address). I did not think it was a big deal or would cause problems right now.

What ended up happening is this. His number was ported out of Amaysim using his ID (his name and his DOB) but onto my Catch Connect account which I was logged into at the time. However, Catch Connect does not over-write the ID details of the account with that of the porting ID details.

Here is the other kicker - the name and DOB on the account is not a valid ID pair as per Government-issued identity documents. It has my nickname, but with a mistake on the DOB. This obviously happened because Catch Connect does not perform any identity verification which is required by ACMA (https://www.acma.gov.au/acmas-rules-id-checks-prepaid-mobile…). They simply use the (encrypted) credit card details that was used to purchase the SIM as a weak form of proof of ID. (Side note: even if you delete this original credit card, and add a different card they will still hold onto the old credit card that was used to pay for the SIM plan to cover their ass as they don't use DVS.)

His Catch Connect SIM plan came with 80GB of data, and he barely used 3GB for the whole year. Seeing it was a complete waste of a plan, I decided to help him switch back to Amaysim towards the end of June. After lots of calls to Catch Connect and Amaysim back and forth, I was told by Catch Connect to port out using my nickname and the incorrect DOB. Amaysim obviously said no, and told us the ID pair has to be valid and pass Document Verification Service (DVS). Amaysim is pretty strict about ensuring porting ID matching your account ID.

Obviously, I reached out to Catch Connect with scanned copies of our driver licences asking them to correct the ID to either my dad's or mine.
They refused to do so. Thereafter, I logged a case with the TIO. I received a call from Catch Connect a week later, and again the gentleman I spoke to informed me they cannot correct the account ID citing legal reasons. He was extremely evasive when I pressed further on what the legal impediments were as I assured him we would be happy to provide other items of evidence to prove ownership of the number. At one point he did let his guard down and admit that even if Catch Connect were to correct the account ID, the port would still fail. However, a few sentences later he was back to using legal reasons as the excuse for not correcting the ID.

Long story short: Dad is very precious about not losing his number. At the moment, he cannot send outbound calls or text messages until we either renew the Catch Connect plan (which would be a complete waste of money, and I would first need to surrender my OZB membership) or move to another provider. He cannot port out with an invalid ID pair that does not pass DVS (i.e. not backed up by a valid Government issued identity document) to Amaysim.

QUESTION: Do you guys know of any dodgy telco providers like Catch Connect that allow mismatched porting ID and account ID?

Rather than wait for the TIO to take any action (and I am sure I am not the only person who has had the same issue with Catch Connect), I am thinking of temporarily moving his number to such a provider with his valid ID when setting up his account, and then port his number out of Catch Connect using my incorrect/invalid account ID.

Thank you in advance for any helpful pointers.

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Comments

  • Try Vaya. When I was 15 I faked my age to get mobile plan with them. A few years later I wanted to port to TPG but when asked about my DOB I completely forgot what I picked. Any ways after explaining my story I managed to get the number ported over. But in my instance I did use my real name.

  • I think Belong does not do proper ID check, either. For a prepaid number, matching DOB(can be fake) is probably the only requirement to port over to it.

    BTW, Kogan/Vodafone is strict with it too.

    • Belong is a postpaid service. Not prepaid.

      • I am saying a prepaid number (e.g. Catch Connect) porting to Belong.

  • Your making this too complex. Find out what the DOB is listed at Catch Connect and create an account at Vodafone or Telstra (non-Optus network) so it goes via the porting agreement rather then internal wholesale churn.

    So get the DOB from Catch Connect
    Buy a $2 voda or Telstra, Woolworths or Aldi etc sim
    On the online form use your dads details to sign up
    Select the port my number option. Provide the catch connect DOB and it should port in a few mins.
    Don't do this late Saturday or Sunday.

  • Forgot to mention you'll also need to be able to send a txt. There's a few ways around this such as using an sms service that can spoof your number like MNF or Maxo.

    Failing that you'll need to recharge with 1 month at catch

  • +1

    “Dodgy telcos”? You wonder why there’s mobile number theft and they introduced measures to stop this from happening… ?? smh

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