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Security of Mobile Networks

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bruncher
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Security of Mobile Networks

#410814

Postby bruncher » May 10th, 2021, 4:56 pm

I had a call today from 023 8097 1050 (apparently Southampton) claiming to be O2 - telling me I had qualified for a temporary Covid relief discount. He said I'll be sending you two texts - one is our security warning, the other is a code from us that is required to activate the discount. I was off my guard and gave him the code. I've since called O2, and emailed my bank.

When I asked the guy at O2 what the scammers could gain from this exercise, he said he's not sure but perhaps just information. The scammer had my name and email address.

Infrasonic
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Re: Security of Mobile Networks

#410824

Postby Infrasonic » May 10th, 2021, 5:28 pm

If they have your name and email it sounds like it was involved in a data breach - you can check here...https://haveibeenpwned.com/

Are you sure it was an SMS text and not an MMS? I have MMS blocked on my phones as they can hide malicious code.

https://www.google.com/search?q=malicio ... yQQ4dUDCA4

AF62
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Re: Security of Mobile Networks

#410934

Postby AF62 » May 11th, 2021, 6:46 am

bruncher wrote:I had a call today from 023 8097 1050 (apparently Southampton) claiming to be O2 - telling me I had qualified for a temporary Covid relief discount. He said I'll be sending you two texts - one is our security warning, the other is a code from us that is required to activate the discount. I was off my guard and gave him the code. I've since called O2, and emailed my bank.

When I asked the guy at O2 what the scammers could gain from this exercise, he said he's not sure but perhaps just information. The scammer had my name and email address.


*If* the code sent by text was actually sent by O2 it is the second part of the ‘two factor authentication’ (2FA) O2 use to authenticate a transaction on your account. This would mean the scammer has accessed your O2 account, and thus must have the password for the O2 account, and now you have given them the code then whatever they did has been authorised - an order for a dozen iPhones…

If that is the case I would suggest changing your O2 password, and if you have used the same password anywhere else (!!!!) then change it there as well. Also speak to O2 again and check if anything has been done to your account that you don’t recognise.

*However* the two texts might not have been sent by O2 - you hadn’t initiated a transaction so you didn’t know if the code ‘O2’ sent you was real or not. It could have been faked by the scammers as part of the set up softening you up, with the next calls purporting to come from your bank telling you your account has been compromised and “we suggest you move your money to a new safe account and here are the details”.

Don’t trust the ‘caller ID’ on any call, it is trivially easy to fake it and pretend to be someone you are not.

bruncher
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Re: Security of Mobile Networks

#411045

Postby bruncher » May 11th, 2021, 2:08 pm

AF62 wrote:
bruncher wrote:I had a call today from 023 8097 1050 (apparently Southampton) claiming to be O2 - telling me I had qualified for a temporary Covid relief discount. He said I'll be sending you two texts - one is our security warning, the other is a code from us that is required to activate the discount. I was off my guard and gave him the code. I've since called O2, and emailed my bank.

When I asked the guy at O2 what the scammers could gain from this exercise, he said he's not sure but perhaps just information. The scammer had my name and email address.


*If* the code sent by text was actually sent by O2 it is the second part of the ‘two factor authentication’ (2FA) O2 use to authenticate a transaction on your account. This would mean the scammer has accessed your O2 account, and thus must have the password for the O2 account, and now you have given them the code then whatever they did has been authorised - an order for a dozen iPhones…

If that is the case I would suggest changing your O2 password, and if you have used the same password anywhere else (!!!!) then change it there as well. Also speak to O2 again and check if anything has been done to your account that you don’t recognise.

*However* the two texts might not have been sent by O2 - you hadn’t initiated a transaction so you didn’t know if the code ‘O2’ sent you was real or not. It could have been faked by the scammers as part of the set up softening you up, with the next calls purporting to come from your bank telling you your account has been compromised and “we suggest you move your money to a new safe account and here are the details”.

Don’t trust the ‘caller ID’ on any call, it is trivially easy to fake it and pretend to be someone you are not.


They called me first, then told me they would send two texts, which they did - identical to O2 system of double texts. Very convincing - more so than O2 actually. And then I couldn't get hold of anyone at Nationwide (my bank) because they are not satisfied with closing all branches, they now want to withdraw telephone service unless you can navigate their obstacle course website to find a number and then navigate an automated menu of unwanted 'options'.

Stompa
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Re: Security of Mobile Networks

#411063

Postby Stompa » May 11th, 2021, 3:15 pm


bruncher
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Re: Security of Mobile Networks

#411114

Postby bruncher » May 11th, 2021, 5:20 pm

I called O2 again today and they confirmed no activity on my account, but recommended I change my password. Later I got a text from 'O2UK' telling 'Marjorie' that her order had been dispatched, with a link to the order, which I didn't click through. I called O2 again, and they were more interested in this and asked me to forward the text to their fraud team. I hope I don't have a delivery tomorrow of £5,000 worth of iPhones.

AF62
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Re: Security of Mobile Networks

#411147

Postby AF62 » May 11th, 2021, 6:32 pm

bruncher wrote:And then I couldn't get hold of anyone at Nationwide (my bank) because they are not satisfied with closing all branches, they now want to withdraw telephone service unless you can navigate their obstacle course website to find a number and then navigate an automated menu of unwanted 'options'.


Change banks. Life is too short to put up with nonsense.


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