T-Mobile hacked in massive Chinese breach of telecom networks, WSJ reports

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNBC/Reuters

Published Sat, Nov 16 2024 3:43 AM EST | Updated Sat, Nov 16 2024 6:48 AM EST


T-Mobile’s network was among the systems hacked in a damaging Chinese cyber-espionage operation that gained entry into multiple U.S. and international telecommunications companies, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday citing people familiar with the matter.

Hackers linked to a Chinese intelligence agency were able to breach T-Mobile as part of a months-long campaign to spy on the cellphone communications of high-value intelligence targets, the Journal added, without saying when the attack took place.

“T-Mobile is closely monitoring this industry-wide attack,” a company spokesperson told Reuters in an email. “At this time, T-Mobile systems and data have not been impacted in any significant way, and we have no evidence of impacts to customer information.”

It was unclear what information, if any, was taken about T-Mobile customers’ calls and communications records, according to the WSJ report.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/16/t-mobile-hacked-in-massive-chinese-breach-of-telecom-networks-wsj-reports.html

[Tumbulu]

2. AT&T was hacked into last summer

and since then many customers ( including me) have experienced a type of Identity Theft called a “Port out Hijack” . This is where fraudsters take the phone number that you use to authenticate your bank accounts, etc. It took 13 days for AT&T to get my phone number back from the hackers. I was able to stop about $200,000 in loans that they were trying to take out in my name. Who knows yet what I did not catch? I had to change/ close every bank account, credit card, email account, all passwords, etc. 13 days of terror. I am far from over it. The hackers demanded a police report before they would return my number from Cricket to AT&T. Which required me to drive to our county jail to pick up the copy.

Here is a link to a good article about this sort of hack. Whoever your phone carrier is- put a special additional lock - called a “port lock” on your phone. So that this does not happen to you. Luckily I still had a land line to use. But without any credit cards ( all cancelled to protect from the fraudulent loans) how could I have even bought a new phone anyway? I had cash on hand for a tank of gas and some groceries.

I got the phone back on Election Day…….. yikes, the hell just kept going.

https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-technology/ap-whats-worse-than-thieves-hacking-into-your-bank-account-when-they-steal-your-phone-number-too/

[FakeNoose]

4. This is the nightmare that I've always feared

Call me old-fashioned, but I've never put any banking or credit card info on my phone, for this very reason. And I'm on T-Mobile so it's a very real possibility.

[Tumbulu]

5. And use a different method- other than getting a text

to authenticate.

I do not wish this nightmare on anyone.

I think I will go back to writing checks and sending them in to pay bills.

[Attilatheblond]

3. Yeah, one more reason I really miss my old land line world.