Verizon Wireless account hack

[preselector]

Got a message from Verizon Free Msg: This confirms your account address or contact # was changed..... Went to website and found other phone numbers had been added. Called Verizon support and found out the name and address had been changed to Julio C in Brooklyn. Support said I needed to go to the store to get it fixed.

Went to the store. Clerk called Verizon Fraud. More phones were being added at the Apple store while she was talking to Fraud. Found out Verizon's Customer Care will change names, addresses, plans, and number of phones on the plan with just the last 4 digits of the SSN as a password. Fraud said name/ address were changed to give the appearance of legitimacy so that people could get iPhones cheaper on a plan and then resell; i.e., the subterfuge didn't need to last long. Got the password changed. It took about 1.5 hrs to fix the problem. Several other people in the store had also been hacked. The store clerk said this appeared to be a local problem.

Anyone else had the same problem? I'm concerned someone local leaked SSNs. Maybe there's a common element. I'm very careful about guarding my SSN and shredding docs.

 

[FED_UP]

Nothing odd on my plan, just looked. Crazy things people will do. The biggest issue is where did they get your SSN, wow.

 

[glhs837]

"local" problem? How local, maybe a bent clerk in a local store?

 

[preselector]

"local" problem? How local, maybe a bent clerk in a local store?

Good question and part of the reason for posting. The only "local" things that would have my SSN are doctors and banks. If Verizon local, Verizon can trace; no other common elements would tend to point to Verizon. I haven't received any phishing attacks lately or ever responded to same.

Anyone responding with common elements, please use PM. If the entire SSN was hacked, there's no reason to make potential attack vectors publicly visible.

It could have social engineering and no SSNs or partial SSNs leaked. It could be the hack isn't local and word hasn't spread yet.

In any event, I encourage anyone in similar situation to respond promptly to Verizon. Having Verizon deleting accounts as they popped up and knowing that a thief was at least denied at the Apple store helped mitigate the PITA aspects.

 

[Peter Forsberg]

This happened to me. I got text and calls from Verizon as soon as it started to go down. I'm not sure where they got my last 4 from. They tried to change my address to a New York address. Who do you bank with? PNC here.