Lee-Anne McLean told 9News her life was turned upside down when hackers ported her phone, allowing them access to her accounts.
“In just 24 hours, they managed to change my email and passwords, hack into my social media, and secure bank loans,” McLean reported.
“I have security on my phone and my computer, so I’m not sure how they got all my personal information but I would really like to know.”
Unauthorised porting refers to fraudsters using personal data to move your phone number to a different telecommunications provider.
This technique enables criminals to hijack your phone number, allowing them to intercept SMS messages, such as two-factor authentication codes, to approve bank transactions and gain access to your social media accounts.
“It’s akin to being in your home while a burglar is actively robbing you, which is why this experience is even more distressing for many people,” explained Dave Lacey, managing director of ID Care.
The challenge for authorities is that about a million Australians port their phone legitimately every year.
Experts warn if you receive a text message from your telco about porting your number, you should contact them immediately, as well as your bank to temporarily freeze your accounts, until you can make sure your information is safe.
“This is an absolute privacy violation,” McLean said.
“My days are basically taken up by trying to prove who I am again, and piece by piece trying to put my life back together.”
The telecommunications ombudsman is investigating McLean’s case.
As phone porting scams become more common, there are calls for urgent changes to the way companies manage personal data.
“There’s a pretty easy way to potentially fix this problem and that is wait for the person to actually validate that they have requested the port itself,” Lacey said.
