The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) warned customers in a recent news release of incidents involving fraudulent access of private wireless accounts. Consumers have reported to the PUC that their accounts have been accessed by persons from outside South Dakota to acquire new cell phones.
It appears as though scam artists are targeting accounts that use the last four of the Social Security number as identification. They order new phones and have the charges billed to the unsuspecting customer. How they access the Social Security numbers in the first place has yet to be determined.
These consumers have been working with their cell phone providers to address the unauthorized charges and change the personal identification numbers associated with the accounts. In many cases, the consumer was not even aware that his or her Social Security number was used as the primary identifier.
The PUC is encouraging consumers to closely monitor their personal wireless accounts and report any unusual activity to their wireless provider. Consumers should also request their Social Security number not be used to identify their account and request a new personal identification number if it is.
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