Big MTN SIM swap changes

[Kevin Lancaster]

Big MTN SIM swap changes

MTN has announced two changes to its SIM swap process.

 

[akescpt]

and the fraudulent contracts being opened by skelms?

 

[Diesal]

How does this help if I may ask?

Secondly, SIM swaps will only be processed on the MTN network between 07:00 and 20:00 daily

I'd imagine most of the sim swap fraud occurs outside of these hours?

 

[kissingmybbgoodbye]

“With MTN Verified, if the requesting cellphone number is still active on our network, the SIM swap will only be processed if the requesting cellphone number approves it,” said MTN.

OK I am on prepaid, my prepaid does not work abroad, I'll get a local sim. So my sim is not active at that moment in time

 

[KleinBoontjie]

SIM swap will only be processed if the requesting cellphone number approves it,

Huh? How will I approve it? If I'm doing a sim swap, chances are, I don't have my old SIM anymore.....

 

[Jola]

Huh? How will I approve it? If I'm doing a sim swap, chances are, I don't have my old SIM anymore.....

Or it's defective, it's happened to me a few times over the years.

 

[upup]

Mtn, is this only for Nigeria.

 

[deweyzeph]

Huh? How will I approve it? If I'm doing a sim swap, chances are, I don't have my old SIM anymore.....

Exactly, how are people whose phones are lost or stolen supposed to do a sim swap?

 

[Kingofmybbknowitalls]

Are there no apps available that can alert you if the phone completely loses the network signal?

 

[HibiscusTunes]

Exactly, how are people whose phones are lost or stolen supposed to do a sim swap?

If the current sim is active on the network it will need approval. If you lost your sim, I think you will need to blacklist it???

 

[j4ck455]

“With MTN Verified, if the requesting cellphone number is still active on our network, the SIM swap will only be processed if the requesting cellphone number approves it,”

SIM swap fraudsters use repeated nuisance calls as a tactic to get people to switch off their phones so that the victim does not receive a SIM swap notification SMS before the SIM swap takes place, which makes "MTN Verified" completely useless in the way MTN is quoted as having defined/described "MTN Verified".

SIM swap fraudsters have also been known to physically swap a working SIM out of a victim's phone, replacing it with a not working SIM, where the phone is momentarily unattended (using the old distraction+switch tactic). Fraudsters target victims that have phones with a SIM slot on the side of the phone which is easier to quickly swap out a SIM without removing covers and batteries.

 

[Pada]

I don't see how these changes will have any improvement in terms of lowering the risk of being fraudulently SIM swapped!

They'll just force you to switch off your phone somehow and then they do the swap and then steal your money as per usual...