Sim Swap way too easy at Vodacom Shop

hackerjargon

hackerjargon

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Not sure if this is the right threat to post it, but want to share my experience I had when I had to go do a Sim swap at a Vodacom shop in Northgate Mall last month due to my new cellphone only using a nano sim for the second sim.

I asked the asstant for what I wanted. He asked me the number, I gave it to him. He them fetched a sim. Even with my ID book out (did not open it at all during the whole process, just left it closed). I repeatedly asked him "don't you want my ID" and "Here is my ID for Rica'ing the sim". He did not even ask my name or any form of Identication. Even with my ID in plain sight. No attempt was made to identify me to make sure I am the owner of the sim card that I'm swapping.

Yes this was for just getting a nano sim but it's still way to easy to just walk in and do a swap without proving any identification.
 
Maybe you were on their systems, but if you weren't its scary that they didn't even check your ID
 
I just got a new phone and both slots are nano. I phoned MTN to find out how I could do a sim swap (contract not prepaid). I was told that I had to go to a store with my ID to get a new SIM. It's a pain in the butt as my nearest store is 100km away, but I feel better that it is not "too simple"
 
Went to MTN store this weekend to get a nano sim for my new phone. MTN told me this was the only way to do a sim swap. Was asked to produce my ID and POR. I had to sign that I had taken the SIM. I received 2 SMS's (about 15 mins apart) asking if I had requested a sim swap which I had to accept or decline.

I had also read up about MTN sim swaps before hand and you are entitled to one FREE sim swap. The store tried to charge me R139!!!

All in all I was happy with the "hoops" I had to jump through to do a sim swap, although it is a pain to have to try find a store if you don't live in a city. If ever a fraudulent sim swap goes through I know it is an inside job.
 
OP just tipped of all criminals, that they must go to Vodacom shop in Northgate Mall, to go swap sims......ai :erm:
 
They also charge you R63 for a simswap, Telkom Mobile it's free.
 
Dairyfarmer said:
I just got a new phone and both slots are nano. I phoned MTN to find out how I could do a sim swap (contract not prepaid). I was told that I had to go to a store with my ID to get a new SIM. It's a pain in the butt as my nearest store is 100km away, but I feel better that it is not "too simple"
Click to expand...

Or get your sim cut for R20. That's if it's a newer sim card or micro sim.
 
Dairyfarmer said:
Went to MTN store this weekend to get a nano sim for my new phone. MTN told me this was the only way to do a sim swap. Was asked to produce my ID and POR. I had to sign that I had taken the SIM. I received 2 SMS's (about 15 mins apart) asking if I had requested a sim swap which I had to accept or decline.

I had also read up about MTN sim swaps before hand and you are entitled to one FREE sim swap. The store tried to charge me R139!!!

All in all I was happy with the "hoops" I had to jump through to do a sim swap, although it is a pain to have to try find a store if you don't live in a city. If ever a fraudulent sim swap goes through I know it is an inside job.
Click to expand...

I cut mine recently myself. R0 :)

Yes, a few years ago I paid over R100 for a sim swop at the MTN shop.
 
Dairyfarmer said:
Went to MTN store this weekend to get a nano sim for my new phone. MTN told me this was the only way to do a sim swap. Was asked to produce my ID and POR. I had to sign that I had taken the SIM. I received 2 SMS's (about 15 mins apart) asking if I had requested a sim swap which I had to accept or decline.

I had also read up about MTN sim swaps before hand and you are entitled to one FREE sim swap. The store tried to charge me R139!!!

All in all I was happy with the "hoops" I had to jump through to do a sim swap, although it is a pain to have to try find a store if you don't live in a city. If ever a fraudulent sim swap goes through I know it is an inside job.
Click to expand...

Don't just assume you are safe from this issue:
https://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/904238-Unauthorized-MTN-SIM-Swap
 
hackerjargon said:
Not sure if this is the right threat to post it, but want to share my experience I had when I had to go do a Sim swap at a Vodacom shop in Northgate Mall last month due to my new cellphone only using a nano sim for the second sim.

I asked the asstant for what I wanted. He asked me the number, I gave it to him. He them fetched a sim. Even with my ID book out (did not open it at all during the whole process, just left it closed). I repeatedly asked him "don't you want my ID" and "Here is my ID for Rica'ing the sim". He did not even ask my name or any form of Identication. Even with my ID in plain sight. No attempt was made to identify me to make sure I am the owner of the sim card that I'm swapping.

Yes this was for just getting a nano sim but it's still way to easy to just walk in and do a swap without proving any identification.
Click to expand...

Colleague had the exact same experience at CellC. He even argued with the staff member about not asking for the ID!
 
hackerjargon said:
Not sure if this is the right threat to post it, but want to share my experience I had when I had to go do a Sim swap at a Vodacom shop in Northgate Mall last month due to my new cellphone only using a nano sim for the second sim.

I asked the asstant for what I wanted. He asked me the number, I gave it to him. He them fetched a sim. Even with my ID book out (did not open it at all during the whole process, just left it closed). I repeatedly asked him "don't you want my ID" and "Here is my ID for Rica'ing the sim". He did not even ask my name or any form of Identication. Even with my ID in plain sight. No attempt was made to identify me to make sure I am the owner of the sim card that I'm swapping.

Yes this was for just getting a nano sim but it's still way to easy to just walk in and do a swap without proving any identification.
Click to expand...
Exactly as it should be. What's the problem?

Thankfully there's no requirement to ask for ID, and neither should there be. It would infuriate me if an ID was required for something as petty as a SIM swap. Many people have SIMs on contracts that aren't in their own name, eg company phones, children, spouses, etc, etc. It would be an intolerable burden to require the swapper to produce an ID or permission from the contract owner.

Neither does the new SIM have to be RICA'd because it's not SIMs that are RICA'd but numbers and your number didn't change.

Thankfully the authorities haven't yet yielded to the demands that a government-issued ID is required for something as trivial as a SIM swap. That sort of misplaced obsession with "security" seems to be a peculiarly South African thing. It's the kind of thinking that gives aid and comfort to dictators and tyrants.
 
Arthur said:
Exactly as it should be. What's the problem?

Thankfully there's no requirement to ask for ID, and neither should there be. It would infuriate me if an ID was required for something as petty as a SIM swap. Many people have SIMs on contracts that aren't in their own name, eg company phones, children, spouses, etc, etc. It would be an intolerable burden to require the swapper to produce an ID or permission from the contract owner.

Neither does the new SIM have to be RICA'd because it's not SIMs that are RICA'd but numbers and your number didn't change.

Thankfully the authorities haven't yet yielded to the demands that a government-issued ID is required for something as trivial as a SIM swap. That sort of misplaced obsession with "security" seems to be a peculiarly South African thing. It's the kind of thinking that gives aid and comfort to dictators and tyrants.
Click to expand...

And enables other miscreants to do what they wish, but your word that you are who you say you are should be good enough for anyone, amirite?
 
Last edited:
daddydurn said:
How can i swap my sim,through my cell phone
Click to expand...
For one of my prepaid sim swaps I bought a new sim and followed the instructions in the included booklet. It was fast and easy, with no visit to the store.
It might still work like that.
 
Vodacom sim swap impossible

hackerjargon said:
Not sure if this is the right threat to post it, but want to share my experience I had when I had to go do a Sim swap at a Vodacom shop in Northgate Mall last month due to my new cellphone only using a nano sim for the second sim.

I asked the asstant for what I wanted. He asked me the number, I gave it to him. He them fetched a sim. Even with my ID book out (did not open it at all during the whole process, just left it closed). I repeatedly asked him "don't you want my ID" and "Here is my ID for Rica'ing the sim". He did not even ask my name or any form of Identication. Even with my ID in plain sight. No attempt was made to identify me to make sure I am the owner of the sim card that I'm swapping.

Yes this was for just getting a nano sim but it's still way to easy to just walk in and do a swap without proving any identification.
Click to expand...

My experience was different. I tried to help my mother do a sim swap (this is at the Vodacom at Century City, Cape Town). All of my mother's airtime was being taken by Vodacom for a third party service for which my mother never signed up. And there is no evidence of this third party service other than there being no airtime on her account (she's on pre-paid). There has been no airtime on her phone for months. Vodacom are very aware of this because they acknowledged the problem. Today, I tried to help her do a sim swap. The shop assistants were the ones who had helped my mother figure out that her airtime was being taken by a third party service. When attempting the sim swap, they demanded the last five telephones numbers that my mother had dialed. Nothing worked. None of the numbers we provided worked. I had another look at the form (which the assistant had clearly not read) and it said that Vodacom was expecting those phone numbers to have been dialed within the last two weeks. So I asked the assistant how was she expecting my mother to have phoned any telephone numbers when Vodacom kept taking all of her airtime credits? The assistant then demanded that we get an affidavit from a police station to state that the sim card was hers. The manager was just as bad. No solutions offered, just obstacles. She can't make phone calls because her sim card is damaged and there's no airtime in her account. But they expect her to make phone calls to get her sim card swapped. Or waste my time at a police station getting an affidavit and go back to stand in the everlasting queue (it takes one hours of standing about in that particular store to get any service).

For the record, they didn't ask for her ID or proof of address either. And did not attempt to do any RICA processes.

My two learning lessons here are:
1. If there's always loads of people in a mobile phone help center, their service and offerings are terrible. (no problems, no people, no queue). It should have been my mother's first clue to stay away from Vodacom
2. Don't use Vodacom. I've received better service from Telkom (*gasp* yes - Telkom).
 
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