A family member contacted me by email a few weeks ago in a panic. They couldn’t call me because they had lost access to their cell phone number.
They had recently moved and were setting up new services. They received a call from someone claiming to be with their provider, offering to move their cell phone service and save them money. The conversation sounded legitimate enough that they provided personal information including their address, Social Security number, and payment information.
At some point the call ended abruptly.
Moments later they realized they couldn’t receive text messages anymore.
That may not sound like a big deal until you realize how much of our digital life is tied to a cell phone number.
They couldn’t receive two-factor authentication codes from their bank. They couldn’t verify their identity to access accounts. Automated systems wanted to text them verification codes, but the number was no longer working. Even reaching support became difficult because so many companies now assume you have access to your phone.
In the end, it appears the call was legitimate, but the process of porting the number from one carrier to another was started and not completed. After a trip to the store and several calls, they regained control of their number and confirmed no fraud had occurred.
The experience was a good reminder:
Your cell phone isn’t just a phone anymore.
It’s the key to your bank account, email account, social media accounts, shopping accounts, and often the recovery method for all of them.
Ask yourself:
- If you forgot your password today, how would you recover your account?
- Is your cell phone the only recovery method?
- How many email accounts do you have?
- Do those email accounts have two-factor authentication enabled?
- What are the recovery methods for those email accounts?
- If your phone was lost, stolen, or disconnected, could you still get back into everything?
Most people don’t think about these questions until something goes wrong.
Account security isn’t just about having a strong password. It’s about having a recovery plan.
Take 30 minutes one evening and review your important accounts. Make sure your recovery email addresses are current, your phone numbers are correct, and your two-factor authentication methods make sense.
It’s not exciting, but it’s a lot easier to do now than when you’re locked out and trying to figure out what happened.
If you’d like someone to talk through your account security or recovery options with you, SatCom & Computers is here to help. Call us at 318-256-1213 or schedule a consultation.