AT&T today said that customers can activate Wireless Account Lock, a new feature that will prevent unauthorized changes to a wireless account. With Account Lock turned on, account changes like billing updates and wireless number transfers are disabled.


Account Lock will protect AT&T users from SIM swapping, a technique that scammers employ to gain control of a smartphone user's phone number, and by extension, two-factor verification codes sent to that number. With SIM swapping, an attacker calls the carrier's support staff, pretends to be the smartphone user, and asks for a number transfer.

Postpaid AT&T customers can activate Wireless Account Lock from the myAT&T app. Locked features will not be accessible until the Wireless Account Lock is disabled in the app, requiring physical control for access. Here's what Account Lock prevents:

• Upgrading a device


• Changing a SIM card or eSIM


• Initiating a phone number transfer


• Adding a new line


• Changing billing information


• Changing authorized users


• Changing phone numbers

There are also account locking features for enterprise customers and prepaid AT&T users.

AT&T says that it will never call or text subscribers to ask them to turn off the Wireless Account Lock feature.
This article, "AT&T Launches Account Lock to Combat SIM Swapping Scams" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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