But it was out of cell service. I couldn’t make calls or texts.
That, though, turned out to be the least of my problems.
Using my home Wi-Fi connection, I checked my email and discovered a notification that $20,000 was being transferred from my credit card to an unfamiliar Discover Bank account.
I thwarted that transfer and reported the cell phone issues, but my nightmare was just starting. Days later, someone managed to transfer $19,000 from my credit card to the same strange bank account.
I was the victim of a type of fraud known as port-out hijacking, also called SIM-swapping. It’s a less-common form of identity theft. New federal regulations aimed at preventing port-out hijacking are under review, but it’s not clear how far they will go in stopping the crime.
Port-out hijacking goes a step beyond hacking into a store, bank or credit card account. In this case, the thieves take over your phone number. Any calls or texts go to them, not to you.
When your own phone access is lost to a criminal, the very steps you once took to protect your accounts, such as two-factor authentication, can be used against you. It doesn’t help to have a bank send a text to verify a transaction when the phone receiving the text is in the hands of the very person trying to break into your account.
Even if you’re a relatively tech-savvy individual who follows every recommendation on how to protect your tech and identity, it can still happen to you.
Experts say these scams will only increase and become more sophisticated, and the data show they are on the rise.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 20, 2024 من Techlife News.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 20, 2024 من Techlife News.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
AI MAY NOT STEAL MANY JOBS AFTER ALL.IT MAY JUST MAKE WORKERS MORE EFFICIENT
Imagine a customer-service center that speaks your language, no matter what it is.
Music
ON THE BEAT WITH NEW FEATURES AND FRESH COMPETITION
CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS APPROVE LEGISLATION TO BAN DEEPFAKES, PROTECT WORKERS AND REGULATE AI
California lawmakers approved a host of proposals this week aiming to regulate the artificial intelligence industry, combat deepfakes and protect workers from exploitation by the rapidly evolving technology.
YOU USE SPOTIFY TO LISTEN TO MUSIC.HERE'S HOW MONEY FROM ADS AND SUBSCRIPTION FEES FLOWS TO ARTISTS
Every day, millions of people use Spotify to stream music.
ROBOT WAITERS IN KENYA CREATE A BUZZ.BUT THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS FOR HUMAN LABOR
Children giggle as young people flash their smartphones to film robots carrying plates of freshly prepared meals on their inbuilt trays to deliver to diners in a busy eatery in Kenya's capital.
SPORTS BOATS SET OUT ON A VOYAGE TO ELECTRIFY THE WATERS IN THE SAME WAY TESLA ELECTRIFIED THE ROADS
Grant Jeide looked like another dude riding the rollicking waves left in the wake of a 23-foot (7-meter) boat ripping through the water at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour on a river in Northern California’s Delta earlier this summer.
HYUNDAI UNVEILS 2025 ELECTRIC SUVS AIMING FOR BROADER APPEAL WITH IMPROVED RANGE, CHARGING OPTIONS
Despite slowing U.S. electric vehicle sales, Hyundai this week rolled out the 2025 versions of its Ioniq 5 electric SUV with improved battery range and charging aimed at broadening the appeal of vehicles to be built at a massive new Georgia factory.
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN AI IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO BE DANGEROUS? REGULATORS TRY TO DO THE MATH
How do you know if an artificial intelligence system is so powerful that it poses a security danger and shouldn't be unleashed without careful oversight?
EVEN DOLLAR STORE CHAINS ARE SEEING A PULLBACK IN SPENDING AS HIGHER PRICES SQUEEZE MORE CONSUMERS
Dollar Tree is slashing its full-year earnings and sales forecasts as its customers continue to struggle with higher prices and spend less.
ESPN NETWORKS, ABC AND DISNEY CHANNELS GO DARK ON DIRECTV ON A BUSY NIGHT FOR SPORTS 7
ESPN has gone off the air on a major carrier for the second straight year during the U.S. Open tennis tournament and in the midst of the first full weekend of college football.