The mobile operator is unable to prevent the issuance of duplicate SIM cards to attackers

On the Internet, the story with repeated issuance of a duplicate of the same SIM card to attackers and the subsequent theft of funds is gaining momentum.



In short, the fraudsters, using a false power of attorney, issued a duplicate SIM card of the victim, and then, using a duplicate, stole a considerable amount of money from various mobile and bank accounts. Such cases have certainly occurred before. The highlight of the same situation is that this time the well-known and high-ranking person became the victim of the scam, and a duplicate of the SIM card was issued several times a day in different offices of the operator (and different cities). At the same time, the subscriber has already established a “block” for issuing duplicates to all offices of the operator, except for one, and then only upon presentation of a passport and a code word by the subscriber himself (but not the power of attorney).



The telecom operator showed complete helplessness in this situation and not the ability to protect its subscriber, but the management of the telecoms operator company took steps, the result of which is not yet clear, only after publicizing the history of a wide audience. Up to this point, the company has limited the provision of bonus 2000 rubles to the account of the affected subscriber. And if the financial losses of the victim can still be compensated somehow, then the leakage of confidential data can be a far greater problem . What to do to mere mortals who do not have the ability to “reach the operator” in this way? Scammers act quickly and smoothly, and operators are extremely slow in handling such complaints.

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How to avoid a similar situation in conditions of complete helplessness of a mobile operator:

0. In the case of the issuance of a duplicate SIM card, immediately block such a SIM card and all payment accounts and bank cards associated with it.

00. Call the office of the bank and the cellular operator or block via the Internet, if you still have such an opportunity, do not waste time on the road.



1. Use a separate phone and phone number to work with online and tele-banking.

2. If you need sms for authorization, use a primitive mobile phone, not a smartphone.

3. Do not give anyone the number of this phone anywhere .

4. Do not install absolutely any extra applications if you use a smartphone for these purposes.

5. Do not use the browser or mail on this smartphone.

6. Do not bind all your accounts to one mail and / or one phone number.

7. Do not use obvious or simple passwords for banking or payment applications.

8. Disable geolocation in all embedded social applications on your smartphone.

9. Use a separate application store account for a smartphone that stores access to payment and bank accounts.

10. Do not buy "anonymous" Sim-cards for your main accounts. This can be a trap for intruders.

11. As soon as possible (and regularly later) check with the operator’s office how many SIM cards are registered in your name.

12. If you manage a large amount of money through online banking, ask the bank for a “ cryptocalculator ” service.



UPD Meanwhile, the telecom operator officially acknowledged that there are scammers among its employees. Given the fact that such stories do not occur for the first time, it can be assumed that they will not cover everyone.



UPD 2 According to information from other subscribers, the telecom operator continues to respond extremely slowly to complaints about the hijacking of SIM cards from less privileged customers.