SIM Swap vulnerabilities/ 2FA risks
So with the onset of SIM swap attacks as well as numerous links over the year I wanted to start a discussion to talk about things that we as consumers can do to better protect ourselves. As well as I hope to share information and ideas to T-mobile to improve their security when it comes to our accouts. For those of you who don't know about the scam that has been going on a attacker will pretend to be you to get T-mobile to assign them a sim card with your number. It is a type of account takeover fraud that generally targets a weakness in two-factor authentication and two-step verification in which the second factor or step is a text message or call placed to a mobile telephone. Think whenever a bank for example sends you the little 6 digit code to your phone to reset a password as a example. I believe T-mobile should have measures in place that allow for a customer to require a instore visit as a pre-requiste before any kind of change like that can occur. T-mobile should also be sending updated alerts before any kind of change happens on the account to both the cell numbers on the account as well as the email address on file. These alerts should require approval before the change itself can actually go through. This would be far more full proof than just having a pin on the account and would prevent this scam from working as easily as it does. Thankfully, this has not happened to me but it is concerning as T-mobile is really lacking in providing tools for consumers to secure themselves.
T-Mobile Home Internet Service - BYOD?
I just switched to the T-Mobile Home Internet; received my gateway device; and I am not happy with signal strength of the device. I am put on Band 12 most of the time and speeds are terrible. With my previous provider I used a MOFI 4500 modem on AT&T network and I could lock in to Bands 2 & 4 exclusively and I had no speed issues. I ordered myself a MOFI 5500 model which includes the 5G bands to use instead of the T-Mobile provided device. When I moved the sim card from the T-Mobile device to the MOFI 5500 it registers on the network but no internet connection. If I move the sim card from my phone to the MOFI 5500 it registers on the network AND I have internet connection. Is there a restriction on the sim card for the T-Mobile gateway device? How can I make this work?
Why is my Pixel 3 not eligible for a new SIM card?
I have been a Sprint customer for over 15 years now, with very few issues. Once T-Mobile and Sprint merged I began to see the quality of my cell service drop over time, and then Ireceived an email stating that I could come in to a T-Mobile store for a "SIM swap" to take advantage of the "T-Mobile Network Experience". When I went in to the T-Mobile store, the employee told me that he could swap my SIM card in just a few minutes. Then, after putting in all of my information he said that my phone did not qualify for the SIM swap and that I would have to upgrade to a new phone to qualify. He even showed me on the computer that the system was prompting him to tell me this. I have an unlocked Pixel 3, that I purchased outright from Google two years ago. The phone is even listed as a compatible device by T-Mobile here (https://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/lte-band-compatible-devices). The employee at the store told me that Sprint towers are being shut down, and that my service will continue getting worse until I get a T-Mobile SIM card. It seems that T-Mobile is trying to force me in to spending hundreds of dollars on a new phone just to have decent service again. I feel like I'm being scammed here. Does anyone have information on why I can't get a T-Mobile SIM card for my Pixel 3? I've tried getting answers in store and through the customer service chat function online with no actual answer other than "Your phone doesn't qualify". I should be given a new SIM regardless of the phone if the merger is causing Sprint customers to lose service as the towers are being shut down. Any help or suggestions are appreciated. Gracias.
Why is tmobile the only phone service blocking premium text?
why out of these phone services that the phones you sell is premium text denied? it was nit with sprint ? so get this as I figured out they have it blocked on their end so you will call and purchase new phones. Service access denied even for veterans that cannot verify accounts, to bypass this please download google voice and change all your accounts to your google number. AKA voip, tmobile i also fouund out is the only phone carrier that does this so that when you do call they will offer you to spend about 700 on a new phone upgrade. no other company just disables this, sprint even had it enabled til they merged, its all a call away from giving them alot of money ,, we did a story on this on our radio station and as a veteran military no one can ever use their tmobile number to verifuy their accounts to send codes so that you can access your online banks vetrans accounts, go to verizon, i wish i did but after this year i will be done with their asses. If you dont believe me than call…see if they dont offer or add more to your bill with tmobile, no one charges for third party access anymore, its to make sure its you that you logged in and can you believe these idiots are saying they charge?Sim card won't send sms, tested on 2 android devices
My wife's oneplus 7 pro the last 2 days won't send texts but receives messages ok. All other network related functions workfine, no sim card errors, etc. Tried all kinds of things to get working. I swapped my sim with hers. Using her device with my sim card,sending text msgs works. Her sim card in my S21 Ultra however, I get the same issue, no outgoing texts. So in my mind it's a sim card issue, not device related. It's just weird that only sms seemingly affected. Any ideas??
Este dispositivo no está en nuestro sistema. Unable to unlock for other carriers sim.
hi, need to tap your collective wisdoms. I have 3 iphone 12 pro, all from t-mobile, one of them was replaced by apple store, under warranty. Account in good standing, all 3 EIP finished on May 2023, i can unlock 2 of them, but the one that was replaced in the apple store is not showing up in T-Mobile database. It shows, STATUS UNKNOWN, Device is not in our system. About 3 weeks ago-my first call, the CS "forced" the imea to unlock inthe system. I said "forced", because the first time she inputted the number, she said the system would not accept it, then after 2 more tries, the system accepted it. Since then, after numerous calls with other CSs, T-force, conference calls with Applecare. T-mobile says that IMEA is fully unlocked, but the phone still shows SIM LOCKED in the status page of my account, after erasing the phone ddd 7+ times, with a sim in w/o a sim in. Applecare says the phone works, no hardware errors. The phone has been working over 1 year and half, since it was exchanged under warranty. T-mobile CS, says it's fully unlocked, and there is no more tools at their disposal to "unlock" it. This is from T-mobile level 2 tech support, not from the CS reps. I thought about letting it slide, since i will probably trade it in in the future anyway, but this happens to be my daughter's phone, and she is hopping onto a plane this Friday,heading abroad, (thankfully my blue iphone pro is unlocked).Beside she doesn't want the blue iphone when she is back, she wants her silver iphone. In case you suggesti go to a t-mobile store, I did. They didn't even want to touch the phone. There is nothing they can do or run any short of diagnostics. Same thing with Apple store, Applecare level2 said the store would not be able to do troubleshoot it. Applecare and apple storewould have the same record. I offered to go to apple store, applecare said I don't have to. Today, I am waiting for a call back from the level 2 tech support again, he said he will escalate it. This would be my 7x calling about the same issue. It won't be my last. Perhaps, i shouldfile a complaint with the fcc, they can push t-mobile to resolve this. There is a law that said carrier must unlock phone at the end of EIP, when account is in good standing, no balance owes, etc. Meanwhile, what's your take on this? Even if there is no solution, this would good for the records, for posterity. Maybe it will help someone else later.
