RCMP in Penticton are warning the public in the South Okanagan about a cell phone number porting scam.
Police say the cell phone “port-out” scam has been observed recently by Penticton officers, and is becoming an increasingly popular method for scammers to steal from unsuspecting citizens.
The scam involves a scammer finding a person’s name and phone number, then attempting to gather as much information about that person. The scammer then uses this information to contact mobile providers requesting the number be ported over to a new phone.
Once they have the number ported over to a new device, they are able to gain access to internet accounts which require a text to phone code for verification. This text is often referred to as “two-factor authentication” and is increasingly being used by online banking to keep accounts secure.
RCMP Tips to protect yourself:
1. Ask your mobile phone provider to set up a unique pin code to prevent porting without your authorization.
2. Watch out for your cell phone disconnecting from cell service.
3. Be careful of texts and Emails you receive which request information from you, often called “phishing”.
If you become a victim of this kind of scam, please report it to your local RCMP Detachment.
