Here is how your Vodacom number can be stolen for almost a week (And there is nothing you can do about it)

[Dylan_G]

Here is how your Vodacom number can be stolen for almost a week (And there is nothing you can do about it).

/snip

You should post your story to LinkedIn. Yes, I know that's not what LinkedIn is for, but once those fancy Execs start getting tagged, you get answers very quickly. Saw this happen to Discovery recently where they reversed their decision on a rejected claim for a baby with some rare disease.

Anyway, posting it there will be worth it if they make some changes to the process as a result of the negative publicity.

@Jan surely it can't be this easy? I would not mind an article analysis on this.

this is an article id read intensely, as its a direct link into your bank account, whatsapps, and life
suspiciously easy to do, and this is very concerning.

So did we ever get the article on this @Jan?

Good thing we are all pushed so hard for 2FA

Just 1 call to Vodacom or MTN and all your accounts are compromised

Yeah, another reason to switch to app-based 2FA.

 

[Dylan_G]

The Sim swop thing happened to a colleague of mine a few weeks back. His story went even further...

He didn't act fast enough and was a victim of identity theft kinda things. They started to open accounts and take lines of credit (or attempted to) at various banks, stores and service providers.

Eventually, the poor guy had to take a few days off work to go sort everything out.

The best part was when he went to Vodacom for a replacement SIM. He went with the police case number (or affidavit, I forget) in hand. They said they couldn't do it, as he needed his proof of address and bank statement, etc etc, just to get his own number back.

So he went and got the necessary documents and went back... only for Vodacom to tell him someone took a new contract on his name a few days prior and thus they can't do the SIM swop (or something to that effect).

The best part is when he asked how the other person took a new contract without the proof of address and bank statement and what was on the system... they said it was bypassed and there was nothing attached.

 

[richjdavies]

Wondered the same. I know we did Telkom or MTN to Telkom, that required acceptance on via sms to proceed, not just go ahead and warn.

Yes exactly... Everytime I've ported it's been a complete nightmare of "send back a code" (with no clarity who to send such a code to... And then not going through, then half going through...)

Do they just let the crooks do it an easier way but everyone else has the harder way?!

 

[Dups!]

Well, well, well.

It happened today, someone tried to swop my daughter's number. She is on Vodacom

Fortunately, she was with me and I knew that something was up. We were sitting and she was on the phone, the next thing she asks me whether I do have a signal.

I check both my personal and work numbers, and lo and behold, I have signal in both. She switched the phone off and then on again... still, "emergency calls only."

I immediately asked her to check if she did receive a message from Vodacom. Sure enough, she did.

We called Vodacom and regained her number. She ended up putting a "flag" on the number so that she has to go in to the Vodacom store for a sim swop in future instead of telephonically.

This made me request a "flag" on my number as well.

Be careful and vigilant out there boys and girls.

In fact, it is best to flag your number just to be safe

 

[gogga_]

Both Vodacom and MTN are pos companies. **** both of them.

 

[Dups!]

Both Vodacom and MTN are pos companies. **** both of them.

Absolutely!

Don't know why they can't give 24 hours weekdays and maybe 48 hours on weekends before initiating a sim swop.

Their message was sent at 14h56 and the phone went "emergency calls only" around 16h04. Was 1 hour to go before they initiated the sim swop.

Imagine if she was not on her phone with that message being two hours ago.

 

[emabotha]

So he went and got the necessary documents and went back... only for Vodacom to tell him someone took a new contract on his name a few days prior and thus they can't do the SIM swop (or something to that effect).

I can't believe this. That is even worse because you will never get the number back. In my case, the number was eventually recovered after a week. I guess it is because the person did not sign up for a contract.

This is actually concerning because it means that it was Vodacom that did the sim swap???

 

[emabotha]

Well, well, well.

It happened today, someone tried to swop my daughter's number. She is on Vodacom

Fortunately, she was with me and I knew that something was up. We were sitting and she was on the phone, the next thing she asks me whether I do have a signal.

I check both my personal and work number, and lo and behold, I have signal in both. She switched the phone off and then on again... still, "emergency calls only."

I immediately asked her to check if she did receive a message from Vodacom. Sure enough, she did.

We called Vodacom and regained her number. She ended up putting a "flag" on the number so that she has to go in to the Vodacom store for a sim swop in future instead of telephonically.

This made request a "flag" on my number as well.

Be careful and vigilant out there boys and girls.

In fact, it is best to flag your number just to be safe

I guess it is never going to end. I am glad you regained the number before it was too late.

I did not know about flagging the number, so I guess it is important that you flag it if you are on prepaid.

 

[NR7]

We called Vodacom and regained her number. She ended up putting a "flag" on the number so that she has to go in to the Vodacom store for a sim swop in future instead of telephonically.

This made request a "flag" on my number as well.

What number did you call and which department did you have to go through to?
Want to flag mine without waiting an hour being moved between departments,

 

[emabotha]

Absolutely!

Don't know why they can't give 24 hours weekdays and maybe 48 hours on weekends before initiating a sim swop.

Their message was sent at 14h56 and the phone went "emergency calls only" around 16h04. Was 1 hour to go before they initiated the sim swop.

Imagine if she was not on her phone with that message being two hours ago.

It honestly cannot be this easy to take a number. I think there has to be a more secure way to do this.

 

[airborne]

Well, well, well.

It happened today, someone tried to swop my daughter's number. She is on Vodacom

Fortunately, she was with me and I knew that something was up. We were sitting and she was on the phone, the next thing she asks me whether I do have a signal.

I check both my personal and work number, and lo and behold, I have signal in both. She switched the phone off and then on again... still, "emergency calls only."

I immediately asked her to check if she did receive a message from Vodacom. Sure enough, she did.

We called Vodacom and regained her number. She ended up putting a "flag" on the number so that she has to go in to the Vodacom store for a sim swop in future instead of telephonically.

This made request a "flag" on my number as well.

Be careful and vigilant out there boys and girls.

In fact, it is best to flag your number just to be safe

Does anyone know if that flagging thing can be done with MTN numbers?

 

[Leisure Larry]

Does anyone know if that flagging thing can be done with MTN numbers?

Yes it can be done. Had this issue with one of my prepaid numbers and I eventually got it flagged @ MTN call center. You have to choose a question and answer that will be used as a security measure for anything to get done on said number.

 

[airborne]

Yes it can be done. Had this issue with one of my prepaid numbers and I eventually got it flagged @ MTN call center. You have to choose a question and answer that will be used as a security measure for anything to get done on said number.

Do you have to use the normal MTN 135 number?
It’s near impossible to speak to a human doing that

 

[Leisure Larry]

Do you have to use the normal MTN 135 number?
It’s near impossible to speak to a human doing that

Yep unfortunately so.
Ensure that you dial out from the very same number you are querying.

 

[Dups!]

What number did you call and which department did you have to go through to?
Want to flag mine without waiting an hour being moved between departments,

135 and select the option to speak to the service consultant.

Yes it can be done. Had this issue with one of my prepaid numbers and I eventually got it flagged @ MTN call center. You have to choose a question and answer that will be used as a security measure for anything to get done on said number.

That sounds not exactly the way Vodacom does it, unless I am misunderstanding.

With Vodacom, once you flag your number, no one will be able to do a sim swop over the phone, instead you will need to go to the Vodacom store to do a physical sim swop.

My only concern is the crooked staff of Vodacom, they have proven anything is possible. If one can simply request it over the phone without any difficulties then it means anything can happen.

 

[Dups!]

Forgot to add another thing, you can dial *135# and go to the porting option where you stop your number from being ported. That means your number will not be ported unless you override that option again.

I think somewhere on this thread someone mentioned their number being ported after the illegal sim swop and they lost it that way.

Don't know how much of a help this will, though, be if your number was illegally switched as the other party could simply reverse the "lock."

 

[airborne]

Yep unfortunately so.
Ensure that you dial out from the very same number you are querying.

Thanks, what terminology exactly do I need to use to ask them to do it, what do they call this sim swop block feature?
Because from past experience most of the agents are so switched off that you'll be sent round the merry go round for half an hour before someone wakes up and finally applies themselves to work out what you need.

 

[AfricanTech]

What number did you call and which department did you have to go through to?
Want to flag mine without waiting an hour being moved between departments,

I called 082 135

Then waded through the stupid IVR until I was able to speak to an operator.

Total length of call - 5 minutes

 

[CB40]

Well, well, well.

It happened today, someone tried to swop my daughter's number. She is on Vodacom

Fortunately, she was with me and I knew that something was up. We were sitting and she was on the phone, the next thing she asks me whether I do have a signal.

I check both my personal and work numbers, and lo and behold, I have signal in both. She switched the phone off and then on again... still, "emergency calls only."

I immediately asked her to check if she did receive a message from Vodacom. Sure enough, she did.

We called Vodacom and regained her number. She ended up putting a "flag" on the number so that she has to go in to the Vodacom store for a sim swop in future instead of telephonically.

This made me request a "flag" on my number as well.

Be careful and vigilant out there boys and girls.

In fact, it is best to flag your number just to be safe

How do you put a "flag" on you number ? Serious question please.

 

[Dups!]

How do you put a "flag" on you number ? Serious question please.

Call Vodacom on (082) 135, speak to a service consultant and request the number to be flagged for sim swop.

You will answer a few security questions, not the madness of the last 5 numbers, but things like your balance, the phone you are using, etc.

If everything checks out, they put a flag on your number so no one can sim swop it via the telephone but you will need to go to the Vodacom store to manually do the swop.