Vodacom - WTF??? Hands out PUK codes to anyone?

S

sjm

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Serious WTF moment today. Seems if you know someone's Vodacom number, you can get their SIM PUK. Easy as dialing a Vodacom service number, selecting 3 or 4 menu options and entering the person's number! :wtf: :(

What's the point of putting a PIN on a Vodacom SIM then? If someone steals your SIM, they just need to enter the PIN incorrectly 3 times, get the PUK from the above number and away they go. This coupled with the delay sometimes in call limits being implemented has led to people I know with a PIN on their SIM and a call limit of R2500 getting bills of R50K+ after their SIMs have been stolen . :sick: :sick: :sick:
 
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Most people dont know the number of a stolen phone as it gets turned off very quickly. Besides they dont want to use it to call with, its just the handset they normally want.
Before that you had to fax through copies of ID and the original sim leavlet with the sim number etc on which proved to be almost impossible most of the time.
 
Steal phone. Phone your own number (record cell #). Phone Nigeria till battery runs out.

Recharge. Call VC, provide number, get PUK, choose new PIN.

Resume calls to Nigeria.

Yay.

Note: To be fair, it is the same with MTN.
 
Budza said:
Steal phone. Phone your own number (record cell #). Phone Nigeria till battery runs out.

Recharge. Call VC, provide number, get PUK, choose new PIN.

Resume calls to Nigeria.

Yay.

Note: To be fair, it is the same with MTN.
Click to expand...

Thats only if the sim is provisioned to make international calls...
 
blaaislaai said:
What if you would steal a phone, while it was switched off.. how are you going to determine its number?
Click to expand...

who caries a switched-off phone though? :wtf:


not only this - i'm thinking a lot of people who have pins on their phones, use the same one for their bank account....people are lazy.
 
Budza said:
Steal phone. Phone your own number (record cell #). Phone Nigeria till battery runs out.

Recharge. Call VC, provide number, get PUK, choose new PIN.

Resume calls to Nigeria.

Yay.

Note: To be fair, it is the same with MTN.
Click to expand...

Or alternatively, download ringtones, songs etc from those cr*p SMS & mobile content companies until the sim card is eventually blocked.

Didn't know that MTN did the same. :sick: :sick: :sick:
 
Budza said:
Steal phone. Phone your own number (record cell #). Phone Nigeria till battery runs out.

Recharge. Call VC, provide number, get PUK, choose new PIN.

Resume calls to Nigeria.

Yay.

Note: To be fair, it is the same with MTN.
Click to expand...

SOLUTION: Phone gets stolen. Get new handset OR retrieve faithful old Nokia 5110 from archives. Get new Sim and do Sim-swap. Claim new handset from insurance OR use 5110 until next upgrade. :)
 
Keeper said:
not only this - i'm thinking a lot of people who have pins on their phones, use the same one for their bank account....people are lazy.
Click to expand...

Won't be a PIN problem, they can't use the PUK to get the existing PIN. They can use it to enter a new PIN and make a supposedly non functional SIM functional again.
 
bluegoo said:
SOLUTION: Phone gets stolen. Get new handset OR retrieve faithful old Nokia 5110 from archives. Get new Sim and do Sim-swap. Claim new handset from insurance OR use 5110 until next upgrade. :)
Click to expand...

Problem comes about in the period between "SIM gets stolen" and "SIM gets deactivated". With high speed HSPA now, bills of R50K+ can be run up.
 
Budza said:
Steal phone. Phone your own number (record cell #). Phone Nigeria till battery runs out.

Recharge. Call VC, provide number, get PUK, choose new PIN.

Resume calls to Nigeria.

Yay.

Note: To be fair, it is the same with MTN.
Click to expand...

Chasing 419'ers?
 
Replace "calls to Nigeria" with "use SIM for data"

@R2/meg over a weekend (before you can report it stolen).

Still sucks.
 
sjm said:
With high speed HSPA now, bills of R50K+ can be run up.
Click to expand...
Never thought of that. Eish. The provider should be responsible for that bill then imo since there is no practical way for the consumer to prevent that.
 
The_Librarian said:
:sick:

Absolutely sickening.
Click to expand...

If your phone is stolen go to or contact your sp have them lock the line. Takes a few minutes and then do a sim swap. No calls can then be made. If you dont know that your phone is stolen then its your own fault as its like leaving your bank card lying around. Something you just don't do.
 
Mantis said:
its always been that way. You realised this now?
Click to expand...

Like the man says. Been like that for the last 15 years. Guys be reasonable if you loose your wallet and you are stupid enough to have your pin number for your bank card on a piece of paper and a thief gets hold of it are you going to blame the bank. I don't think so. Same concept with a cellphone. Don't leave it lying around. It's bound to get stolen.
 
ShaunR said:
Like the man says. Been like that for the last 15 years. Guys be reasonable if you loose your wallet and you are stupid enough to have your pin number for your bank card on a piece of paper and a thief gets hold of it are you going to blame the bank. I don't think so. Same concept with a cellphone. Don't leave it lying around. It's bound to get stolen.
Click to expand...

Be reasonable.
If you lose you bank card you dont expect the criminal to be able to call the bank create a new pin and then clear out your account!
 
bboy said:
Be reasonable.
If you lose you bank card you dont expect the criminal to be able to call the bank create a new pin and then clear out your account!
Click to expand...

Your argument doesnt quite carry the same consequence unless there is very little in your bank account and things like ATM limits come into play.
Besides, if someone was to use your phone to call someone in SA it wouldnt create a massive phone bill in before you have blocked your sim. Any calls made after the blocking took place are the networks responsibility.
 
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