CRTC asks for plan to combat unauthorised phone porting

The CRTC has asked for information about the unauthorised porting of Canadians’ phone numbers after becoming aware that customers “have been subject to fraudulent activity”, according to a letter sent to the Canadian Wireless Telecommunication Association. The CRTC asked for an update on the Canadian mobile industry’s plans to combat the problem, as well as detailing how fraudsters currently port telephone numbers, stealing the phone number of a customer and transferring it to a new service provider. The update should also include data on the prevalence of porting and SIM swapping in Canada, broken down by provider, what information is captured by providers during the porting process, and an explanation of what information gets modified in carriers’ databases when a port is executed, the CRTC’s letter states. According to an Australia and New Zealand guide on phone porting, criminals often use the practice to gain access to the two-step verification codes sent to a phone number by text message. They then use those codes to access a victim’s personal accounts, such as their email, banking, and government portals. SIM swapping is used to achieve the same means, but involves a fraudster convincing a wireless provider into transferring the victim’s number to a new SIM card in their possession. The CWTA has been given until Feb. 14 to respond. In an email, a CWTA spokesperson said the organisation does not “currently track specific numbers with regard to porting fraud.” The spokesperson said legitimate porting of numbers “makes it easier for consumers to switch service providers and offers them greater choice”, but the practice had been “unfortunately” also used by criminals in a bid to defraud customers. Fraudsters obtained the personal information required to port a number in several ways, including phishing campaigns, through a personal relationship with the victim, acquiring personal information from the dark web or buying it from organised criminals, the CWTA spokesperson said. “Our members take any issue related to their customers' privacy and security very seriously, and as fraudsters are constantly evolving techniques to try and take advantage of consumers, our members continually strengthen their security measures and verification procedures. This includes changes to the number porting process,” the spokesperson said. Independent United Kingdom-based security consultant Pat Walshe said in an email that the request for information by the CRTC was “a promising step forward”. “Carriers have been aware of this issue for years. There needs to be industry standards agreed,” Walshe said an an email. He said SIM swapping and porting could cause “multiple harms,” including fraudsters taking over a victim’s social media accounts, or gaining access to financial services. A guide from the international wireless industry group GSM Association (GSMA) on common fraud says SIM swapping is a global phenomenon but most prevalent in developing countries. “The impact of SIM swap fraud has the potential to become more significant as the industry evolves and the nature of partnerships becomes more complex,” the guide states. — Reporting by Adam Langenberg at alangenberg@thewirereport.ca and editing by Anja Karadeglija at akarad@thewirereport.ca

CRTC asks for plan to combat unauthorised phone porting

News | January 21, 2020

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CRTC asks for plan to combat unauthorised phone porting

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