Public Mobile Disables Online SIM Swaps via Self-Serve to Protect Against Fraud

Last month, Telus-owned prepaid brand Public Mobile warned customers about cases of SIM swap fraud, when scammers take over wireless account through social engineering. With full control of your phone number, criminals are able to easily reset your online accounts and get one-time passcodes.

On Monday, Public Mobile posted an update to say they have now “temporarily disabled” SIM swaps via self-serve online.

“To protect our customers from SIM swap fraud, we have temporarily disabled all online SIM swaps through Self-serve. To change your SIM card, please submit a ticket here,” explained Public Mobile.

“Customer safety and security is our priority, and we are working on permanently securing the online SIM swap process. In the meantime, we recommend that you continue following the steps outlined below to protect against fraudulent activities,” concluded Public Mobile.

Last week, Public Mobile unveiled a new activation portal with a simpler design. It’s unclear if disabling online SIM swaps is also related to an upcoming design change for the self-serve portal.

To protect yourself again SIM swap fraud, ensure you have different passwords for all your online accounts, and also limit what information you share online that could be used against you, should a scammer try to social engineer their way into your account over the phone.

Password managers such as 1Password can help you create and easily maintain different passwords for online accounts, plus warn you when websites have been compromised or if you have reused passwords.

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