Technology
Cellphone nightmare leads to ported numbers, identity theft and fight for recovery
Imagine this scenario: You’re going about your day, and suddenly you can’t make calls or send texts. Little did you know, but you’ve become the latest victim of a ported phone number scam, a devious tactic in which hackers hijack your phone number to take over your identity.
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What is the ported phone number scam?
A CyberGuy Report subscriber contacted us to share that they’ve been a victim of a ported phone number scam. Also known as a SIM swapping or port-out scam, this is when a hacker steals a victim’s phone number to gain control over it. Once they have control, they use that number to commit identity theft by gaining access to their other accounts.
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How hackers hijack your identity via ported phone number scam
Though there are several ways they may go about porting a victim’s phone number, one of the most common ways is to use your stolen personal information in order to call your mobile provider, pass their security checks, and once they are through, they request that the number be ported to a new carrier or transferred to a new SIM card that they have sent to them.
Once the scammer successfully ports the phone number, they receive all the calls and messages intended for the victim. This access allows them to bypass security measures like two-factor authentication (2FA) that sends a code via text message to the phone number associated with an account.
With this power, the scammer can use this method to reset passwords and gain unauthorized access to your personal accounts, whether it be a social media account, online bank account or another account. Once they continue to gain access to your other various accounts, there’s no telling what else they can do.
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How to protect yourself from ported number scams in the future
If you manage to pull yourself out of identity theft once, chances are you’ll do whatever it takes to ensure you don’t end up in that position again. All this being said, it’s important not to blame yourself. Scammers are very sophisticated, and they are always looking for ways to stay one step ahead of their victims. So, do what you can to stay one step ahead of them:
1) Secure your phone number: If you can take any extra measures to keep your phone number safe, don’t think twice. For instance, add a secondary security code or PIN on your Android or iPhone.
2) Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): This adds an extra layer of security to all of your accounts.
3) Secure your email account: Just as you would for your phone, add extra verification methods when possible and notifications if someone logs into your account from another device.
4) Secure your other accounts: Take the same measures for your other accounts, like your bank or social media accounts. For instance, ask to receive notifications every time there is activity on the account, so you can monitor it and quickly determine if that activity was made by you or someone else.
5) Limit who you give your number to: Be cautious about who you share your phone number with.
6) Consider using a secondary or burner number for online use: This can help protect your primary phone number.
7) Change your password: Use a strong password that’s more than 12 characters (if applicable) and a mix of numbers and upper and lowercase letters. Consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords.
8) Be cautious with emails: Don’t open attachments or click links in emails unless you are positive that they are safe. The best way to protect yourself from clicking malicious links that install malware that may get access to your private information is to have antivirus protection installed on all your devices. This can also alert you of any phishing emails or ransomware scams. Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices.
How do you know if your identity has been stolen?
You might become aware of a ported phone number scam when your mobile service is unexpectedly interrupted because your number has been ported to a different carrier’s SIM card. Such incidents could escalate into full-blown identity theft.
A scammer might exploit one-time passwords (OTPs) – unique codes sent to your phone for security verification – to unlawfully access all the data on your device, including credit card details. This breach could result in you being barred from your own accounts.
When a scammer successfully ports your phone number to a different carrier’s SIM card, they can receive these OTPs intended for you. This allows them to bypass security measures and gain unauthorized access to your accounts, such as email, banking and social media, potentially leading to identity theft.
Regaining control of your phone number and securing any accounts that were compromised is often a difficult and lengthy process. This underscores the need for you to be proactive, protect your personal information and stay alert for any unusual activities on your accounts.
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What to do if a scammer takes your identity
If you discover that your identity has been stolen – whether through this phone port scam or another type of identity theft – there are a few steps you should take.
Report the theft to your local police department: Some businesses may require a police report to remove fraudulent debts from your account.
Visit IdentityTheft.gov: This website helps you recover from identity theft. You can answer questions about what happened to you, get your Identity Theft Report and create a recovery plan just for you.
Contact your credit card companies: Inform them about the situation and follow their procedures for securing your accounts. You may need to close your current accounts and open new ones.
Check your credit reports: Look for any accounts or charges you did not make and report them.
Place a fraud alert on your credit reports: This makes it hard for someone else to open new accounts in your name.
Use an identity theft protection service: Identity Theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security Number, phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals. One of the best parts of using some services is that they might include identity theft insurance of up to $1 million to cover losses and legal fees and a white-glove fraud resolution team where a U.S.-based case manager helps you recover any losses. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.
MORE: HOW TO STOP PHONE NUMBER SPOOFING AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SCAMMERS
Kurt’s key takeaways
Unfortunately, once a scammer steals your identity, it can be very arduous to get it back. That being said, there are steps you can take to reclaim your identity while ensuring that your number doesn’t get ported again in the future.
What measures do you think mobile carriers should implement to prevent ported phone number scams? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.
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Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Technology
Maybe go look at Google’s AR animals before they enter the grave
Remember Google’s AR search, which can make augmented reality bugs, dinos, neat objects, and buildings appear atop the real world through the lens of your phone? Now might be a good time to take it in because it seems to be vanishing.
According to 9to5Google, the number of animals that will give you AR renders when you search for them has shriveled to just a few. My editor, Richard Lawler, saw the same thing on his Pixel 8 Pro, as did I when I checked my Pixel 6. But when I searched in Safari on my iPhone 15 Pro, there they were: Tyrannosaurus Rex, Spinosaurus, Rhinoceros Beetle, Jewel Beetle, and a Giant Panda!
Perhaps it’s just a bug? Or perhaps Safari is a temporary workaround.
We asked Google to explain what’s happening, but it didn’t give us an answer by press time. We’ll update if that changes. In the meantime, maybe now is a good time to go look at some AR animals — if they’re still showing up for you. Just in case.
Technology
Tesla Semi’s impressive performance on ice marks another major triumph
For skeptics of the Tesla Semi-Truck, performance across less-than-perfect conditions is near the top of their list of questions. Sure, this all-electric truck can handle perfectly controlled environments, but truckers know that things are rarely perfect on the roads in the real world.
After we wrote about how the Tesla Semi-Truck blew away a diesel-fueled truck in acceleration, even on steep grades, our readers still had plenty of questions about the Tesla truck design. Some of those questions focused on whether it had the control and power to handle rough weather and icy roads.
We sought answers to those questions about weather from Tesla itself but did not receive a response. Fortunately, we have some other means of investigating this issue, including a recent video from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) that may provide some answers.
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How the Tesla Semi-Truck appeared to perform in poor weather
The CHP created a Facebook post in early 2024 that mentioned closing Donner Summit along I-80 in California after multiple semi-trucks lost control on icy roads. The announcement itself was not the notable item, though.
What caught our attention – and the attention of 3.5 million-plus viewers – was a video of a Tesla Semi-Truck slowly but successfully navigating the icy roads. The CHP didn’t mention the Tesla truck in the post, but the video clearly shows its unique design.
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We must say that although the video seemed to show the Tesla Semi-Truck handling the ice like a cold-weather pro, it was only 17 seconds long. It’s impossible to tell just how far the truck traveled during the video and how fast it was going. We also don’t know what happened with the truck after the officer stopped recording.
Still, the video evidence appears to show that icy conditions were no problem for this Tesla Semi-Truck. If true, this would indicate that it could perform anywhere in the United States at any time of the year rather than only in warm-weather states that experience primarily mild weather.
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How the Tesla Semi-Truck could affect emissions on a large scale
Tesla claims its Semi-Truck has an energy consumption of less than 2 kWh per mile, even when fully loaded at 82,000 pounds. Such energy savings could be monumental in terms of cutting emissions. Transport & Environment estimates semi-trucks in Europe account for 27% of all vehicle emissions while only representing 2% of the vehicles on the road.
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The EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) calls heavy-duty trucks the “fastest growing contributor to emissions,” making an all-electric option like the Tesla Semi-Truck game-changing. With the EPA expecting freight activity in the United States to grow by 45% from today to 2040, finding new options for cutting emissions is vital.
Of course, to provide such benefits, the Tesla truck would have to prove that it can handle the conditions that truckers encounter every day, including performing in less-than-ideal road conditions and weather. What the vehicle seemed to do in the CHP video would indicate a positive step forward.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
The Tesla Semi-Truck appears to show video proof of the strength of its design, such as the power it delivers on hills. It proved its efficiency for traveling long distances on a single charge. And now it seems to be showcasing safe operation in winter road conditions. It will be interesting to see what this truck can deliver in the near future as it attempts to overcome skeptics.
Do you believe Tesla Semi-Trucks are the future of the trucking industry? Can these trucks meet the needs of truckers who require top-notch, real-world performance? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.
Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.
Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:
Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Technology
Amazon says its Prime deliveries are getting even faster
To me, Prime’s promise of two-day shipping is more of an added bonus to Prime Video and stuff like Fallout. But it’s become an expectation, leading other retailers like Walmart and Target to roll out faster shipping options of their own.
Now, Amazon says its deliveries are getting even faster, announcing that it delivered over 2 billion items the same or next day to Prime members during the first three months of 2024, breaking its record for 2023. The company says it delivered almost 60 percent of Prime orders the same or next day in 60 of the biggest metropolitan areas in the US.
If you buy from Amazon, have you noticed any differences lately? Same-day and next-day options seem to be more widely available, but it’s hard to tell how that applies to different items in different places or whether the associated costs are worth it based on reports of warehouse injuries and workers organizing for better conditions.
The control Amazon has over shipping and fulfillment has helped make it the target of a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission. The agency alleges Amazon engages in anticompetitive behavior by unfairly limiting which sellers are eligible for Prime shipping and coercing companies into using its fulfillment services. Amazon claims that the FTC’s efforts could result in “slower or less reliable” Prime shipping for customers.
In 2019, Amazon said it was spending billions to build up an in-house fulfillment operation covering planes, trucks, drones, and robots to rival FedEx and UPS and enable these one-day-or-less deliveries. And last year, it introduced a program that allows sellers to ship their products directly from factories — regardless of whether they’re going to one of Amazon’s many warehouses.
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