Latest news with #eSim
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Major mobile network is giving FREE data even if you're not a customer and you don't need to switch provider
The new trial is only open to non-Vodafone mobile customers GOOD CALL Major mobile network is giving FREE data even if you're not a customer and you don't need to switch provider Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) VODAFONE is extending its popular offering of free data to more customers around the country. Last month, the major mobile network offered phone users in London 50GB of data, as well as 500 minutes and 500 texts for people to try its eSIM service. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Vodafone is giving away a free data deal Credit: Alamy 3 People can get a free eSim for 7-days Credit: Getty Non-Vodafone customers in Belfast, Sheffield, Liverpool and Watford can now access the 'try before you buy' deal. The seven-day offer is open to people geo-located in the above cities and have eSim supported mobile phones. To get the deal, people need to scan a QR code found in the above cities or visit the Vodafone website to sign up online. From there, customers will need to install the eSIM through the My Vodafone App. eSIMs are digital SIMs that don't require a physical SIM card to be installed. Most modern smartphones support eSIMs, so you can have two SIM services running on your device simultaneously. Vodafone came up with the seven-day deal as a way to lure Brits to the network and lure them into switching if they experience first hand a performance boost. "As London's Best Network, we pride ourselves on connecting this great city to the people and things they love," said Rob Winterschladen, Consumer Director for Vodafone UK when the offer launched in London. "We know how important it is for people is to stay connected, so they can work on the move, stream their favourite TV show or movie, or simply contact friends and family." Vodafone previously carried out a similar scheme for last year's Glastonbury Festival and Boardmasters Festival. Brits will always have mobile phone & internet signal at home after tech breakthrough that beats Elon Musk's Starlink It has been a big month for Vodafone who recently completed its £15billion mega-merger with rival Three UK and pledged to invest billions in infrastructure. The newly-created joint business VodafoneThree said the deal would create a 'new force in UK mobile'. It is now the biggest mobile phone network in the UK with around 27million customers. But the deal cuts the UK's four main network operators down to just three, with the new joint business competing with BT/EE and Virgin Media O2. The tie-up was first announced in 2023 but faced a probe by the competition watchdog, which was worried about the negative effect on consumers. The Competition and Markets Authority feared it could substantially reduce options for mobile customers and lead to higher bills.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Major mobile network is giving FREE data even if you're not a customer and you don't need to switch provider
VODAFONE is extending its popular offering of free data to more customers around the country. Last month, the major mobile network 3 Vodafone is giving away a free data deal Credit: Alamy 3 People can get a free eSim for 7-days Credit: Getty Non-Vodafone customers in Belfast, Sheffield, Liverpool and Watford can now access the 'try before you buy' deal. The seven-day offer is open to people geo-located in the above cities and have eSim supported mobile phones. To get the deal, people need to scan a QR code found in the above cities or visit the Vodafone website to sign up online . From there , customers will need to install the eSIM through the My Vodafone App . vodafone eSIMs are digital SIMs that don't require a physical SIM card to be installed. Most modern smartphones support eSIMs, so you can have two SIM services running on your device simultaneously. Vodafone came up with the seven-day deal as a way to lure Brits to the network and lure them into switching if they experience first hand a performance boost. "As London's Best Network, we pride ourselves on connecting this great city to the people and things they love," said Rob Winterschladen, Consumer Director for Vodafone UK when the offer launched in London. Most read in Tech "We know how important it is for people is to stay connected, so they can work on the move, stream their favourite TV show or movie, or simply contact friends and family." Vodafone previously carried out a similar scheme for last year's Brits will always have mobile phone & internet signal at home after tech breakthrough that beats Elon Musk's Starlink It has been a big month for Vodafone who recently completed its £15billion mega-merger with rival Three UK and pledged to invest billions in infrastructure. The newly-created joint business VodafoneThree said the deal would create a 'new force in UK mobile'. It is now the biggest mobile phone network in the UK with around 27million customers. But the deal cuts the UK's four main network operators down to just three, with the new joint business competing with BT/EE and Virgin Media O2. The tie-up was first announced in 2023 but faced a probe by the competition watchdog, which was worried about the negative effect on consumers. The Competition and Markets Authority feared it could substantially reduce options for mobile customers and lead to higher bills. 3 The offer was first open to people in London only Credit: Getty
ITV News
12-05-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Sim-swap fraud rises by 1,000% as criminals seek to exploit growth of two-factor authentication
The number of sim-swap frauds in the UK has increased by more than 1,000%, as criminals try to exploit the increasing reliance on businesses using two-factor authentication to protect their customers' data. The National Fraud Database says it has seen a 1,055% increase in the number of reports of sim-swap fraud, rising to almost 3,000 cases in 2024 from just 289 in 2023. Sim-swap fraud involves hijacking a person's mobile phone number and transferring it to a new sim without their consent. Once transferred, fraudsters can then receive texts and calls to that number, including important security checks like two-factor authentication. It is one of several tactics used in takeover fraud, where criminals take control of individual accounts to defraud their victims. Cifas, who operate the National Fraud Database, say this kind of takeover fraud had soared by 76% and older consumers remain the main target. It says the retail and telecoms sectors were particularly vulnerable. It is believed that sim-swap fraud one of the techniques used in the recent cyberattack on Marks and Spencer and the Co-op. News website Bleeping Computer reported the hackers gained access to both the Co-op's and M&S's networks by impersonating employees, contacting the retailers' IT helpdesks and tricking helpdesk staff into resetting passwords. Simon Miller, Director of Policy, Strategy, and Communications at Cifas said: "These figures are startling. In the mobile and telecoms sector, criminals are exploiting vulnerabilities in the system to assume control of people's mobile identities, with devastating consequences.'Phones are absolutely central to our lives. "Scammers are obtaining people's data through the dark web and then using it to get through the phone companies' systems because they have the full body of data that a company would expect." There are fears that the growth in the eSim, which effectively removes the need for a physical simcard will make sim swap fraud easier to carry out. How does a SIM swap scam work? First, the scammer will need to gain some data on the victim, which will usually be through buying hacked databases or phishing scams. Once they have enough data, including the victim's phone number, they will contact the victim's service provider and impersonate them. The fraudster will then trick the provider into swapping the victim's mobile number onto a sim card in the thief's possession. The thief now has access to the victim's phone number, meaning they can use it for outbound calls for further phishing purposes. But most importantly, they can now receive calls and texts to that number, including security checks like two-factor authentication that are used by numerous businesses as an extra layer of protection. With this, the fraudsters will be able to access many aspects of the victim's life. They will also be able to benefit from the victim trying to access their accounts when they realise something is wrong because they will be pushed a two-factor login code that will be sent straight to the scammer. Ian Finlay said he was on a cruise near Australia, and noticed something was wrong when his credit card was declined during one of the port stops. He told ITV's This Morning, he assumed it was a glitch, but then soon noticed some transactions on his current account that he had not authorised. He noticed fraudsters were paying for meals on his credit card and booked a holiday to New York on his current account. When Mr Finlay got home, he realised it was "something bigger" than a card scam and all of his finances had been affected with his savings account also raided. Eventually, he realised that combining the money spent in his name and money removed from his accounts totalled around £50,000. When he was asking "what I had done wrong" he realised he had done nothing wrong, he said: "Your mobile phone company has sent a duplicate sim to an address not connected to your account that somebody has put in a phone and then they've got everything they need to know about you." He added: "The added implication is that we are now also pushed into two-stage authentication. I was sat trying to look at my accounts, trying to get into them, getting a message saying we'll forward you a code. "That never arrived, I now know that was being skimmed off by the scammer, they were then using it to get into my account and do even more damage." How can you protect yourself against sim-swap fraud? There are several things you can do to avoid being the victim of sim-swap fraud. Consumer magazine Which? Has five tips. First, secure your mobile account. Ask your provider about any extra security that can be added to the account, like unique pins or authenticator apps that can be added on top of standard password verification. Second, turn on two-factor authentication. While sim-swapping fraud can specifically get around SMS-based two-stage authentication, if it was not already active on your account, then the fraudster would have an even easier time accessing it. You can also use several security apps to carry out the authentication, which does not rely on a mobile number and is what Which? recommends. Third, reduce information on your social media profiles. For the fraud to work, the criminal needs access to enough data to convince a mobile carrier they are you. Information like place and date of birth is often used as security questions and should not be visible on social media profiles. Fourth, if you ever receive information about your sim being changed or you unexpectedly lose phone service, contact your carrier immediately. Fifth, as soon as you've contacted your mobile carrier, contact your banks and ask them to freeze your accounts and change all your passwords.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Yahoo
WhatsApp for iPhone may soon let users have multiple accounts on one device
If you use the popular messaging app WhatsApp on an iPhone, there may be times when you wish you had the ability to add more than one account. The good news is that a recent update for WhatsApp, released via Apple's TestFlight beta program, includes the feature, suggesting that it could be rolled out soon for everyone using WhatsApp on an iPhone. Android users will be scoffing at this news, as the feature has been available for WhatsApp on that platform since 2023. But hey, better late than never. Setting up additional WhatsApp accounts on a single device can be done in a few steps, though you'll need to have another phone number or a phone that supports more than one SIM card, or eSim. WABetaInfo, which first reported the incoming feature, confirmed that the recent update 'eliminated the need for multiple devices or parallel apps to manage different WhatsApp accounts, simplifying account management and enhancing convenience for users.' iPhone users will be able to add a new account to WhatsApp using two different methods. The first involves setting up the device as a primary account, while the second lets you scan a QR code to link the new account as a companion. While users will be able to keep all of their conversations organized within a single app, elements such as notifications, chats, backups, and settings will remain distinct for the different accounts, as each one will operate independently within the app, WABetaInfo said. Up to now, a workaround has seen users upload the WhatsApp Business app and using another number for that account, but the new feature will let you use the main app to manage both numbers at the same time, meaning you'll no longer have to jump between apps. There are lots of reasons why someone might want to have multiple WhatsApp accounts on one phone. Keeping a separation between work and personal communications is an obvious one, and if you operate multiple businesses then separating these will help you to manage things like customer interactions and branding for each operation. Additionally, some folks may wish to create different personas or profiles for various social circles or interests. Coming late to WhatsApp? Digital Trends has everything you need to know.
