How to Better Protect Yourself From Fraud and Identity Theft
How can I better protect my phone and personal information from fraud and identity theft?
Fraudulent mobile number porting and identity theft.
What is a mobile number porting scam?
Fraudulent mobile number porting happens when a scammer uses your personal details to port your mobile number from one provider to another. Scammers can get access to your personal details, such as your date of birth, phone number and address, via your social media profiles.
Scammers then use your mobile number to gain access to email accounts and bank account details. Once your number has been ported, you no longer have access to it which means that any verification codes being sent to you by your bank for large money transfers will be sent to a scammer instead. This means they can authorise these transfers and steal money from you.
The implications of fraudulent number porting for consumers can be very serious and include but are not limited to financial loss, negative credit ratings, and emotional stress. Once a consumer has had their identity stolen, it can be very difficult and time-consuming to reverse the effects.
How to tell your number has been ported
A sign that your number has been ported is that your phone will show ‘SOS only’ where the reception bars usually appear.
What to do if you have been scammed
- Contact us immediately. We will be able to tell you whether your number has been ported. If it has been ported by a scammer, we can port it back as an unauthorised port away.
- Contact your bank to see whether scammers have accessed your bank account. Let your bank know of any fraudulent transactions straight away.
- Change your passwords on your online accounts for social media, banking, emails and other important accounts.
- Scammers may try to steal personal information from your close contacts using your accounts. It is a good idea to let your family and close friends know to watch out for strange emails and messages sent from your account if you have been scammed.
- Report the scam to Scamwatch and the Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network (ACORN).
- For help with identity fraud, you can contact IDCare.
What can you do to further protect yourself?
- Update your account portal password to something that only you know, to further identify yourself when you call us for assistance.
- Check your social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to ensure your mobile number is hidden from public viewing (remember to check resumes and work documents that are available online). Also, find out if your mobile number is listed online anywhere and have it taken down. You can do this by Googling your mobile number. This may not be practical for small businesses that rely on social media and websites to attract business.
- Remove your birthdate from public view on social media. Use a fake birthdate when you sign up. Do not use real personal information for security questions; make up a best friend’s name or mother’s maiden name. Remember a scammer can work out your birthdate from photos of birthday celebrations, or a happy birthday message from a friend.
- Create strong passwords for your online accounts and use different passwords for different accounts. If you have lots of online accounts, consider using a password manager.
- Wherever possible, use two step verification to login to your online accounts. Two step verification is when you are sent a verification code that needs to be entered before you can login to an account. The code is usually sent to a mobile number or email address.
- Scammers can gain personal information about you by stealing your physical mail. Make sure you have a lock on your physical letter box and keep your home street address offline. Google your address alongside your name to see if it is listed anywhere. For small businesses, it may not be desirable or practical to remove online addresses.
- Be security conscious on Facebook and online generally. Do not list your family’s names online anywhere; if you have connected them in your Facebook profile hide or delete these links. Hide your friends list from public and friends’ view. If a scammer can see your friends list, they can then copy your Facebook profile to impersonate you, and then approach them using a fake profile. Never accept a friend request from someone you are already friends with on Facebook as it may be a fake profile.
- Install anti-virus software on your computer, tablet and smartphone to ensure your devices are protected from hackers. Regularly run anti-virus scans. Ensure that the software for your anti-virus and operating system are up to date.
- Never return missed calls from an unknown number if a message hasn’t been left.
- If you receive recorded messages seeking money, advising that an arrest warrant has been issued against you or if it’s in a foreign language, do not return the call. Contact the organisation directly using their official contact details.
- Consider blocking numbers on your handset if you’re receiving unsolicited calls repeatedly from them.