To the surprise of no one, there has been a significant decline in the use of landline phones since the smartphone boom of the 2010s. Currently, only about a quarter of the American population still regularly use landlines.
Unfortunately, as digital services and their safeguards have evolved, fraudsters are returning to analog methods of accessing individuals’ funds and information. Enter the landline identity theft scam. This relatively new crime is so clever, victims may not even know when, why, or how it’s happening.
“Fraud or misuse through landlines can be harder to detect because they don’t get as much public attention as they used to,” said Stephanie Ziegler, Director of Financial Investigations at SELCO.
Here’s how the scam operates and how you can keep it at bay.
How does the scam work?
While landlines are nearing extinction, the ones that remain may be tied to a financial account without the owner’s knowledge.
As a scammer attempts to hack into an account, they discover that a landline is connected, contact the phone company posing as the consumer, and request to have that number “ported” to a messaging service they control. What is often the case here is that people with landlines will have only the text message feature ported to a messaging service without impacting the voice service. In turn, since the phone works like it always has, they would have no idea that someone else has been able to use the number for text purposes.
Next, the scammer turns their attention to the victim’s financial institution to request a password reset or to register for digital banking, which triggers a verification code being sent to the scammer’s new ported number.
Within minutes, the scammer can change a user’s login credentials, locking the victim out of their account.
“Even if you haven’t used a landline in a long time, don’t assume you can’t be affected by this type of fraud,” Ziegler said. “It can be very difficult for someone to get in front of this scam. They won’t notice they’re missing notifications about their account since it’s tied to a defunct line or their voice call service is still working as expected.”
How can you prevent it?
Even if it’s been several years since you used a landline, be sure to audit recovery and security settings on all of your financial accounts. The same goes for accounts tied to utilities, credit reporting agencies, and employers. This may be where you have outdated home, mobile, or work phone numbers or long-forgotten secondary email addresses listed. If so, delete them.
Once that’s complete, here are a few other security measures to consider:
- Use all of the security controls at your disposal. Use a password manager to hide your passwords, enable push notification to be alerted to suspicious activity, and download an authenticator app for an extra layer of account protection. You can even sign up for identity theft protection.
- Contact your cell phone provider and request a port-out lock (methods will vary by carrier), which is similar to freezes on your credit report. And if/when you do need to transfer your number, you can make it so you can only transfer it in person or with a PIN established with your carrier.
- Remove your info from data broker sites. Don’t wait too long, though—once your information is out there, data brokers will spread your personal information across cyberspace. A service like Incogni is highly recommended for removing that information.
Landlines may be going the way of the dinosaur, but as long as they’re around, scammers will find ways to use them against unsuspecting victims. Stay a step ahead by updating forgotten account settings and setting up extra protections on your accounts—even if you said goodbye to your landline long ago.
