SIM CARD ERROR - someone used my number

[Ext User(matte)]

OK experts - figure this one out

Our phone returned a sim read error on our phone. Teltra support said it
should be working ok, but it did not so we went back to the retailer who had
recently sold us the phone and had a new sim card put in.

Time out of service - 2 days

In that time someone had a filed day, subscribed to Foxtel Mobile,
downloaded $550+ of WAP content, made calls and sent txts, plus a few other
costly goodies inlcuing subscribing to Jamster.

Telstra is reversing all charges for us so we are not out of pocket - which
is great.

But the question remains...how did this happen??

Was it, as Telstra suggests, an error when someone had a sim activated and a
keystroke erroe on the serial number gave them access to our account, or did
someone hack in??

The telstra tower/repeater location was 'sunset' not our usual towers that
show up.

So any telco gurus out there know the answer - or anyone else had this
happen to them?

[Ext User(Nick Adams)]

matte wrote:

> Was it, as Telstra suggests, an error when someone had a sim activated and a
> keystroke erroe on the serial number gave them access to our account, or did
> someone hack in??

Sounds like an error with a sim card replacement. When a user upgrades
from 2G/CDMA to 3G/NextG they require a new sim card. The Telstra
Shop/dealer basically enters the old sim card number, the new card
number and the service number to transfer the account to the new sim.

I would have thought that MNC would have checked the old sim though??!!
Michael?

[Ext User(matte)]

"Nick Adams" <buzz@off.com> wrote in message
news:45ade6fc$0$5748$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au ...
> matte wrote:
>
>> Was it, as Telstra suggests, an error when someone had a sim activated
>> and a keystroke erroe on the serial number gave them access to our
>> account, or did someone hack in??
>
> Sounds like an error with a sim card replacement. When a user upgrades
> from 2G/CDMA to 3G/NextG they require a new sim card. The Telstra
> Shop/dealer basically enters the old sim card number, the new card number
> and the service number to transfer the account to the new sim.
>
> I would have thought that MNC would have checked the old sim though??!!
> Michael?

It must have been someone elses upgrade and a fat finger then!!!

But the person MUST have known, cause they went flat out for several days
downloading as much as they could, subscribing to services etc.

Just shows there is a loophole in the system!

[Ext User(Nick Adams)]

matte wrote:
> "Nick Adams" <buzz@off.com> wrote in message
> news:45ade6fc$0$5748$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au ...
>> matte wrote:
>>
>>> Was it, as Telstra suggests, an error when someone had a sim activated
>>> and a keystroke erroe on the serial number gave them access to our
>>> account, or did someone hack in??
>> Sounds like an error with a sim card replacement. When a user upgrades
>> from 2G/CDMA to 3G/NextG they require a new sim card. The Telstra
>> Shop/dealer basically enters the old sim card number, the new card number
>> and the service number to transfer the account to the new sim.
>>
>> I would have thought that MNC would have checked the old sim though??!!
>> Michael?
>
> It must have been someone elses upgrade and a fat finger then!!!
>
> But the person MUST have known, cause they went flat out for several days
> downloading as much as they could, subscribing to services etc.

Not really. Some NextG sign-ups allow $100 free content, data and
subscriptions for the first two months.

> Just shows there is a loophole in the system!

Yeah. I can't recall if there is any kind of verification on the old SIM
card number. Michael would know more....

[Ext User(matte)]

>>Not really. Some NextG sign-ups allow $100 free content, data and
>>subscriptions for the first two months.

yea but $600 in 2 days...

[Ext User(Michael)]

"matte" <matt22@xxone.com.au> wrote in message
news:45ad679c$0$27890$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
> OK experts - figure this one out
>
> Our phone returned a sim read error on our phone. Teltra support said it
> should be working ok, but it did not so we went back to the retailer who
> had recently sold us the phone and had a new sim card put in.
>
> Time out of service - 2 days
>
> In that time someone had a filed day, subscribed to Foxtel Mobile,
> downloaded $550+ of WAP content, made calls and sent txts, plus a few
> other costly goodies inlcuing subscribing to Jamster.
>
> Telstra is reversing all charges for us so we are not out of pocket -
> which is great.
>
> But the question remains...how did this happen??

Easy. Someone transposed a digit, and did a SIM replacement on your number,
instead of someone elses

> Was it, as Telstra suggests, an error when someone had a sim activated and
> a keystroke erroe on the serial number gave them access to our account, or
> did someone hack in??

Nope

> The telstra tower/repeater location was 'sunset' not our usual towers that
> show up.

Then that shows you it had nothing to do with you

> So any telco gurus out there know the answer - or anyone else had this
> happen to them?

Human error
>
>

[Ext User(Michael)]

"Nick Adams" <buzz@off.com> wrote in message
news:45ade6fc$0$5748$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au ...
> matte wrote:
>
>> Was it, as Telstra suggests, an error when someone had a sim activated
>> and a keystroke erroe on the serial number gave them access to our
>> account, or did someone hack in??
>
> Sounds like an error with a sim card replacement. When a user upgrades
> from 2G/CDMA to 3G/NextG they require a new sim card. The Telstra
> Shop/dealer basically enters the old sim card number, the new card number
> and the service number to transfer the account to the new sim.
>
> I would have thought that MNC would have checked the old sim though??!!

MNC displays the old SIM number, with a checkbox for the dealer to tick =>
Checked SIM?

Changing a SIM would soon become second nature and you would probably tick
that box in your sleep

[Ext User(Spokes)]

Nick Adams wrote:
> matte wrote:
>
> > Was it, as Telstra suggests, an error when someone had a sim activated and a
> > keystroke erroe on the serial number gave them access to our account, or did
> > someone hack in??
>
> Sounds like an error with a sim card replacement. When a user upgrades
> from 2G/CDMA to 3G/NextG they require a new sim card. The Telstra
> Shop/dealer basically enters the old sim card number, the new card
> number and the service number to transfer the account to the new sim.
>
> I would have thought that MNC would have checked the old sim though??!!
> Michael?

It's not unusal for dealers to call Retail Support and confirmt the
surrent sim number prior to an upgrade, especially if the handset has
been lost or stolen.
It's possibly human error as Michael suggests. a simple typo.

[Ext User(Emjaye)]

Nick said....

> Sounds like an error with a sim card replacement. When a user upgrades
> from 2G/CDMA to 3G/NextG they require a new sim card. The Telstra

My NextG Samsung A501 has a "3G" SIM card in it. If I took it out and
put it in my Wife's Nokia 6233 3G GSM phone, would it work? Or,
alternatively, if I put her SIM in the Samsung, what would it do?

[Ext User(Spokes)]

Emjaye wrote:
> Nick said....
>
> > Sounds like an error with a sim card replacement. When a user upgrades
> > from 2G/CDMA to 3G/NextG they require a new sim card. The Telstra
>
> My NextG Samsung A501 has a "3G" SIM card in it. If I took it out and
> put it in my Wife's Nokia 6233 3G GSM phone, would it work? Or,
> alternatively, if I put her SIM in the Samsung, what would it do?

yes...try it.

[Ext User(matte)]

"Michael" <michael@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3B_rh.3181$u8.3167@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
>
> "matte" <matt22@xxone.com.au> wrote in message
> news:45ad679c$0$27890$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
>> OK experts - figure this one out
>>
>> Our phone returned a sim read error on our phone. Teltra support said it
>> should be working ok, but it did not so we went back to the retailer who
>> had recently sold us the phone and had a new sim card put in.
>>
>> Time out of service - 2 days
>>
>> In that time someone had a filed day, subscribed to Foxtel Mobile,
>> downloaded $550+ of WAP content, made calls and sent txts, plus a few
>> other costly goodies inlcuing subscribing to Jamster.
>>
>> Telstra is reversing all charges for us so we are not out of pocket -
>> which is great.
>>
>> But the question remains...how did this happen??
>
> Easy. Someone transposed a digit, and did a SIM replacement on your
> number, instead of someone elses
>
>> Was it, as Telstra suggests, an error when someone had a sim activated
>> and a keystroke erroe on the serial number gave them access to our
>> account, or did someone hack in??
>
> Nope
>
>> The telstra tower/repeater location was 'sunset' not our usual towers
>> that show up.
>
> Then that shows you it had nothing to do with you
>
>> So any telco gurus out there know the answer - or anyone else had this
>> happen to them?
>
> Human error
>>
>>
>
>
I lean away from human error due to $550+ of charges in TWO days. What
normal human spends that much unless they know there is a mistake made or it
was deliberate?!

[Ext User(Spokes)]

On Jan 24, 6:05 pm, "matte" <mat...@xxone.com.au> wrote:
> "Michael" <mich...@yahoo.com> wrote in messagenews:3B_rh.3181$u8.3167@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
>
>
>
>
>
> > "matte" <mat...@xxone.com.au> wrote in message
> >news:45ad679c$0$27890$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
> >> OK experts - figure this one out
>
> >> Our phone returned a sim read error on our phone. Teltra support said it
> >> should be working ok, but it did not so we went back to the retailer who
> >> had recently sold us the phone and had a new sim card put in.
>
> >> Time out of service - 2 days
>
> >> In that time someone had a filed day, subscribed to Foxtel Mobile,
> >> downloaded $550+ of WAP content, made calls and sent txts, plus a few
> >> other costly goodies inlcuing subscribing to Jamster.
>
> >> Telstra is reversing all charges for us so we are not out of pocket -
> >> which is great.
>
> >> But the question remains...how did this happen??
>
> > Easy. Someone transposed a digit, and did a SIM replacement on your
> > number, instead of someone elses
>
> >> Was it, as Telstra suggests, an error when someone had a sim activated
> >> and a keystroke erroe on the serial number gave them access to our
> >> account, or did someone hack in??
>
> > Nope
>
> >> The telstra tower/repeater location was 'sunset' not our usual towers
> >> that show up.
>
> > Then that shows you it had nothing to do with you
>
> >> So any telco gurus out there know the answer - or anyone else had this
> >> happen to them?
>
> > Human errorI lean away from human error due to $550+ of charges in TWO days. What
> normal human spends that much unless they know there is a mistake made or it
> was deliberate?!-
interesting point. hopefully telstra people are looking into it as a
possible fraud case. you may never hear about it.

[Ext User(Spokes)]

On Jan 19, 6:39 pm, "Michael" <mich...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> "matte" <mat...@xxone.com.au> wrote in messagenews:45ad679c$0$27890$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
>
>
>
>
>
> > OK experts - figure this one out
>
> > Our phone returned a sim read error on our phone. Teltra support said it
> > should be working ok, but it did not so we went back to the retailer who
> > had recently sold us the phone and had a new sim card put in.
>
> > Time out of service - 2 days
>
> > In that time someone had a filed day, subscribed to Foxtel Mobile,
> > downloaded $550+ of WAP content, made calls and sent txts, plus a few
> > other costly goodies inlcuing subscribing to Jamster.
>
> > Telstra is reversing all charges for us so we are not out of pocket -
> > which is great.
>
> > But the question remains...how did this happen??Easy. Someone transposed a digit, and did a SIM replacement on your number,
> instead of someone elses
>
> > Was it, as Telstra suggests, an error when someone had a sim activated and
> > a keystroke erroe on the serial number gave them access to our account, or
> > did someone hack in??Nope
>
> > The telstra tower/repeater location was 'sunset' not our usual towers that
> > show up.Then that shows you it had nothing to do with you
>
> > So any telco gurus out there know the answer - or anyone else had this
> > happen to them?Human error

some dealerships don't have access to all systems and have to call
support to get the current sim number.