New Member
•
4 Messages
Landline Fraud
My very elderly parents have had their landline phone number for over 50 years with AT&T. A year ago their number was ported to T-Mobile and my parents account was closed. After 3 weeks of talking to AT&T employees and even the highest up you can go in the business we had no answers. We were told that AT&T has nothing to do with porting the number out. My parents did not authorize anyone to port their number why would they? They’ve had the same number for over 50 years. So after a friend in the states Attorney’s office got involved my parents were told their same number would be activated in the next few days. So in a few days my parents had their landline up and going no further problems…until last week in which the same thing happened AGAIN. My parents phone service was cut off. So after many calls again I finally spoke with someone who helped me understand. Evidently, or so I was told, my parents phone number was never ported back to AT&T. They had their account set up so their AT&T bill was automatically deducted from their bank account…and after further inspection I saw that no money had been taken out from AT&T for this past year. So a year ago their phone service was restored with AT&T or so they thought. So now they find out it has been with T-Mobile (we are assuming bc that is where the number was ported out to) and someone had been paying the phone bill for the last year! I guess they got tired of paying the bill? We don’t know what happened but now they are left without their number they have had forever and someone is getting away with stealing my elderly parents phone number! Since it has been a year is AT&T still responsible for an unauthorized porting out of their number? Or could my parents information have been apart of a leak with AT&T and someone got their information and was able to steal their number that way?
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to handle this? We don’t want this person to get away with this.
Accepted Solution
spoom2
Expert
•
19.7K Messages
1 year ago
Sounds like an FCC complaint is warranted.
0
Accepted Solution
skeeterintexas
ACE - Expert
•
28K Messages
1 year ago
While most of the information about porting scams apply to cellular service, landlines can also be fraudulently ported as you have discovered.
Could it be that one of them spoke to someone that extracted personal information from them? The following article explains how people can become victims of porting scams:
Porting Out: Fraud 101
It is not unreasonable for your parents to want their number back. A bigger concern should be identity theft. You might want to review their credit report.
eta: found a similar situation to your parents reported on CBS news
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/2-investigators-fraudsters-can-steal-your-phone-number-and-more-through-porting/
(edited)
0
0
Subscriber17
New Member
•
4 Messages
1 year ago
@skeeterintexas …THANK YOU so much! You have given valuable information here and I really appreciate it. I will be sure to have them check their credit report and to look for any identity theft. Thankfully my parents do not own any electrical devices like computers and up until their phone number was stolen they didn’t own a cell phone either. They are very old school and actually like to go to the company they are dealing with and talk directly to a real person to figure out the problem they may be having. Although there is no AT&T store who would deal with my parents problem they told them they would have to call and speak with someone on the phone (kind of ironic being they had no working phone anymore). Anyway this has given me a start in what to do! Thank you!
0
0
Subscriber17
New Member
•
4 Messages
1 year ago
@spoom2 …This is a great idea…I’m getting on that right now! Thank you!
0
0
MonicaPaz1
2 Messages
10 months ago
Two out of my three numbers was ported out without my permission from Verizon to ATT after I had specifically called into Verizon a month ago and places a Two factor authentication on my accounts and asked for any changes be approved by sending a text to my main number and I accept before any changes are made! I did receive a text stating that there was a port request initiated asking to approve or deny, and I denied the activity and called the number it gave me immediately, only to find out that ATT still allowed the port to go through. I WAS SHOCKED and OUTRAGED! I need my number back, filed a claim, and placed a message stating that there was an unauthorized number port on my account made by ATT). I tried calling ATT and I was never able to speak to a representative. I then tried chatting with someone on their website and after one hour and a half, I chatted with two representatives and was left waiting on a supervisor forever and no one ever came online to speak with me. This is truly unacceptable and feel that ATT does not give these type of situations to appropriate time and response that it requires! What are we supposed to do when in situations like this? Why is there no number to call? I need my number back and need for ATT to take responsibility and accountability for doing something that they should have never authorized in the first place!!! Monica P from San Francisco
0
0
JefferMC
ACE - Expert
•
36K Messages
10 months ago
You're outraged at the wrong people. It's not "ATT" that allowed it to go through, it's VERIZON, with whom you had service, with whom you set up the text messaging process, to whom you supposedly denied the port request, it's Verizon who allowed it to go through. AT&T got a request from someone and apparently Verizon told AT&T that it was proper.
Get on the phone with Verizon and give them as much of a piece of your mind as you can spare.
0
0
MonicaPaz1
2 Messages
10 months ago
I did speak with Verizon and they said that they never approved it and that ATT actually allowed the port without their approval. Trust me I have spoken with Verizon numerous times! What number can I call so I can speak with a supervisor at ATT?
0
0
JefferMC
ACE - Expert
•
36K Messages
10 months ago
Do an FCC Complaint, but I think Verizon is lying to you. Because the port wouldn't go through without Verizon allowing it... there's no magic sauce that AT&T can make it happen if Verizon thinks it shouldn't.
FCC page about port-out-fraud (contains a reporting link)
https://www.fcc.gov/port-out-fraud-targets-your-private-accounts
0
0
mehwishblogger
3 Messages
9 months ago
Landline fraud can be distressing, especially for elderly individuals who have had their numbers for decades. It's crucial to report this incident to AT&T, T-Mobile, and your local authorities immediately. AT&T may still have some responsibility for unauthorized porting, and they should investigate the matter thoroughly visit ufa bet. Additionally, consider enhancing your parents' security measures, such as enabling two-factor authentication on their accounts. Keeping a close watch on financial transactions and monitoring personal information can help prevent future incidents.
0
0