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This is a fun educational game designed to help you to understand some of the risks of unauthorised mobile phone porting and how criminals can use it to steal your identity or your money.
Funding for the development of this game was kindly provided through a grant from Ecstra to Macquarie University.
Telling us a little general information about yourself will help us to identify which types of players are more (or less) successful at playing this educational game.
The information we collect about a player is deliberately vague (the decade of your age, the state in which you live and your gender) to ensure that we are unable to identify any individuals from that information.
Of course, you can choose to not provide any information about yourself. The game plays the same whether or not you choose to answer these questions.
We have created two scenarios which you can choose to play.
The first scenario is targeted towards younger adults, such as university students.
The second scenario is targeted towards older adults, such as retirees.
Of course, you are welcome to play through either (or both) of these scenarios.
It’s 10am and you’re running late for your lecture. When passing your mailbox, you notice that it is open and there is no mail inside. However, you are sure you locked the mailbox last time you checked it.
You lock your mailbox and go to the bus stop. While you wait for your bus, you see a large number of ripped open envelopes in the rubbish bin - one of them has your address typed on it. Do you:
Although it means missing your lecture, immediate reporting of this crime will help minimise the risk that your identity has been stolen through unauthorised mobile phone porting.
Mail theft is an easy way for criminals to get the information they need to start impersonating you. Sometimes, the criminal will borrow money in your name from a bank who will then require you to repay the loan.
The risk of you becoming a victim of unauthorised mobile phone porting has now increased.
Ask your landlord to replace your broken mailbox lock with a new one that uses a more secure key. While this can reduce the risk of future mail theft and identity fraud occurring, it will not protect you against harms resulting from the mail theft which has already occurred.
The risk of you becoming a victim of unauthorised mobile phone porting has now increased.
Receiving junk mail can be frustrating, but, you could also receive important mail by post including letters from the government, bank statements or new credit cards from banks.
Criminals target such letters because they often contain important details about your identity which can be used to impersonate you. Increasingly, criminal gangs are committing these crimes and several gangs have been arrested in Australia over the past few years.
Despite your efforts to fix your mailbox (which makes it harder for future identity thieves to steal your mail), you are still at a high risk of Identity theft due to your mail that has already been stolen. It is recommended that you ask your landlord to consider upgrading your mailbox lock with a custom security lock. This will make your mailbox safer from future attacks.
This is a high-risk choice. Identity crime commonly starts through mailbox theft. During the time you sit in a lecture (typically 2 hours), criminals could have already stolen your identity, emptied your bank account and taken out credit in your name. Failing to repair a broken mailbox makes it even easier for other identity thieves to steal your mail in the future, so it would be wise to ask your landlord to install a more secure lock and key on your mailbox. Visit our antiport website for more case studies.
The reason you were late for your lecture is because you had a bad head cold and your doctor prescribed some medication which has made you feel drowsy.
After the lecture, you get a text message from a number you don't recognise that reads: "Thank you for choosing our medical practice. You can access your test results by clicking on this link." You do not recognise the sender of the text message but would really like to have your test results as soon as possible.
The medical practice staff will be able to confirm whether or not they actually sent you the text message, or whether it has been sent by a scammer.
It is difficult to tell from just looking at a text message whether a link in the message is safe to open. In this case, the clinic staff are surprised you received a text because they did not send you any text messages. This text is probably from a scammer and the link may send you to a page containing malicious code designed to hack your phone. You could report this scam text to IDCARE and SCAMWATCH. Learn more here.
It is dangerous to click on unverified links and highly likely that you have given a scammer your sensitive personal information.
The scammer could have loaded malware onto your phone from the webpage you visited. This will help them to steal your identity and commit fraud in your name. You should also never provide information such as your name, date of birth and address, unless you are certain that you are dealing with a legitimate website.
You were right not to provide any additional personal information.
However, even clicking on the link sent by a scammer may have exposed you to malware that could now be installed on your phone. This would then help them to steal your identity and commit fraud in your name.
Scammers make lists of gullible people who give away their personal information too easily. The scammers then sell these lists to other criminals who will target the victims with additional scams. Criminals who have installed malware on your phone can see everything you do, say and type on your phone. They can use this information to impersonate you to your friends, to your bank, or to steal your usernames and passwords. Most phones can have anti-virus software installed on them to help protect you from these risks.
Criminals who have installed malware on your phone can see everything you do, say and type on your phone. They can use this to impersonate you to your friends, your bank, or to steal your usernames and passwords. Most phones can have anti-virus software installed on them to help protect you from these risks.
One week later, you show up for your morning shift at work. Your boss says ‘What are you doing here? I sent you a text message yesterday to tell you that your shift was cancelled.’
When you look at your phone, you notice that you have no signal and the display shows ‘SOS only’. Your friend who has just finished their shift suggests you come along for a workout at the gym.
If your number has been ported by a criminal, your telco provider will be able to confirm this immediately.
They will also be able to undertake the correct steps to get your number back as quickly as possible. You should also inform your bank, email providers and social media companies immediately about the situation and check on another device whether you still have access to your bank accounts, email accounts and social media.
Buying a new phone may not solve this problem.
If a criminal has ported your sim card without your permission, then putting your old sim card into a brand-new phone will not help you. Before buying a new phone, you should first check with your phone service provider whether or not your sim card has been ported recently without your permission. If unauthorised porting of your sim card has occurred, then you are probably the target of identity theft and financial fraud by a scammer.
In case your number has been ported by criminals it is very important to act fast.
First, visit or call your telco provider immediately to investigate what has happened to your phone number. They will also be able to undertake the correct steps to get your number back as quickly as possible. You should also tell your bank, email providers and social media companies immediately about the situation and check on another device whether you still have access to your bank accounts, email accounts and social media.
If you have fallen victim to unauthorised mobile phone porting, it may take some time to fix this problem. It is important to understand that falling victim to unauthorised mobile phone porting is not your fault and you should not feel ashamed if this occurs. Instead, it is better to take active steps to fix the problem. Fortunately, you can find additional help and resources on how to do this on the antiport website here. ACCAN and IDCARE have also prepared a useful guide that you may wish to read.
If you have fallen victim to unauthorised mobile phone porting, it may take some time to fix this problem. It is important to understand that falling victim to unauthorised mobile phone porting is not your fault and you should not feel ashamed if this occurs. Instead, it is better to take active steps to fix the problem. Fortunately, you can find additional help and resources on how to do this on the antiport website here. ACCAN and IDCARE have also prepared a useful guide that you may wish to read.
If you have fallen victim to unauthorised mobile phone porting, it may take some time to fix this problem. It is important to understand that falling victim to unauthorised mobile phone porting is not your fault and you should not feel ashamed if this occurs. Instead, it is better to take active steps to fix the problem. Fortunately, you can find additional help and resources on how to do this on the antiport website here. ACCAN and IDCARE have also prepared a useful guide that you may wish to read.
It's 2:45pm and your son has told you he is stuck at work, so you are in a hurry to pick up your grandchildren from daycare when you receive a text message on your phone saying "Australia Post has a parcel for you. Click here to confirm your address so we can deliver the package to you today."
The traffic is heavy, so if you don't leave straight away you may be late to collect your grandchildren. On the other hand, it would be great to receive your package today!
Although it will take you some additional time to drive to the post office, it is important to confirm whether this message actually came from Australia Post or from a scammer.
The post office staff tell you that this message was not sent by them. Instead, it is highly likely the message came from a scammer. This is called a phishing text message, and is a common way for criminals to gain access to your device (in this example, a mobile phone) and the information stored on it.
It is important to confirm whether this message actually came from Australia Post or from a scammer.
This might be a phishing text message, which is a common way for criminals to gain access to your device (in this example, a mobile phone) and the information stored on it. It is good to ask your son or daughter-in-law whether the message is legitimate. However, they might be unsure or give you the wrong advice, so the best option is to check with Australia Post whether they have sent this message.
It is dangerous to click on any links sent to you by text message.
It is highly likely you have given a scammer your sensitive personal information and/or they may have loaded malware onto your mobile phone from the webpage you visited. This will help the scammer to steal your identity and commit fraud in your name.
If you have any doubts about whether a text message containing a link was sent to you from a legitimate source or was sent by a scammer, the safest thing to do is not click on it. Criminals who have installed malware on your phone can see everything you do, say and type on your phone. They can use this information to impersonate you to your friends, your bank, or steal your usernames and passwords. Most mobile phones can have anti-virus software installed on them to help protect you from these risks.
Scammers make lists of gullible people who give away their personal information too easily. The scammers then sell these lists to other criminals who will target the victims with additional scams. Criminals who have installed malware on your phone can see everything you do, say and type on your phone. They can use this to impersonate you to your friends, your bank, or steal your usernames and passwords. Most mobile phones can have anti-virus software installed on them to help protect you from these risks.
A few days later, you are at a nice restaurant enjoying a close friend’s 70th birthday celebration. The party is going well and you are having a great time.
You notice that you've just received the following text message: "Hi, we received your port out request for this service. If you did not request your number to be ported out, please call us on 123 456." Someone hands you a plate of delicious cake and tops up your glass of champagne.
Confirming that you are communicating with your phone service provider and not the scammer is an important first step.
Your phone service provider customer service representative will be able to confirm whether or not they actually sent you the text message and are actually processing the port out request, or whether the text message has been sent by a scammer. In this case, what has probably happened is the phone service provider is asking to process a port out request that it has received from a scammer who has impersonated you. Once you tell the phone service provider that you did not authorise the port out request, they will prevent the transfer from occurring.
By delaying your response, you are giving the scammers time to illegally port your phone service.
This enables the scammers to receive two-factor authentication messages sent by your banks, superannuation fund, email accounts, online shopping services, online payment services, and social media services which they can use to impersonate you, steal your identity, take out loans in your name, and steal your money. They may even reset the passwords to lock you out of your own accounts.
Unfortunately, your phone service provider may not be monitoring text messages sent in response to their message and therefore they may not prevent the illegal porting of your phone service by the scammer.
By delaying your response, you are giving the scammers time to illegally port your phone service. This enables the scammers to receive two-factor authentication messages sent by your banks, superannuation fund, email accounts, online shopping services, online payment services, and social media services which they can use to impersonate you, steal your identity, take out loans in your name, and steal your money. They may even re-set the passwords to lock you out of your own accounts.
In the past, no response meant that the phone service provider would permit the unauthorised porting to occur, which would give the scammer control over your phone service. This is likely to change in the future as the government is proposing new rules which would require you to take active steps to confirm a porting request before it would be processed by your phone service provider.
It is unlikely that your phone service provider will consider your text messages sent in response. Therefore, sending a text might have the same outcome as not reacting to the message at all. In the past, no response meant that the phone service provider would permit the unauthorised porting to occur, which would give the scammer control over your phone service. This is likely to change in the future as the government is proposing new rules which would require you to take active steps to confirm a porting request before it would be processed by your phone service provider.
Two days later, you have boarded a cruise ship to depart for a lovely fourteen-day South Pacific holiday.
There is a note on the bed in your cabin inviting you to join the Captain for free drinks - starting in just fifteen minutes! You've just connected to the ship's wifi and receive an email from your bank stating "$10 000 has been transferred to a new payee. If you did not authorise this payment, please contact us."
Even though a phone call from a cruise ship is expensive, it can be much cheaper than the costs of recovering from a stolen identity and theft of your money.
If your number has been ported by a criminal, they may be receiving the two-factor authentication messages needed to access your bank accounts, superannuation funds, social media, online shopping and online payments. Some people have lost large amounts of money from such crimes.
If you use two-factor authentication by SMS for your banking, the fact that you have received such an email suggests that your phone number may have been ported by scammers.
In such a situation, it is very important to act fast. An email to your bank about the transaction may not solve the problem and might even be ignored. You should call your bank and your telco provider immediately to investigate what has happened to your phone number and bank account. Since your phone will probably be in 'SOS Only' mode, you might have to borrow a phone to make these calls. Your telco provider will also be able to undertake the correct steps to get your number back as quickly as possible and your bank may be able to freeze your account and reverse unauthorised payments. You should also inform your email providers and social media companies immediately about the situation and check on another device whether you still have access to your bank accounts, superannuation funds, email accounts and social media accounts.
If you use two-factor authentication by SMS for your banking, the fact that you have received such an email suggests that your phone number may have been ported by scammers.
In such a situation, it is very important to act fast. You should call your bank and your telco provider immediately to investigate what has happened to your phone number and bank account. Since your phone will probably be in 'SOS Only' mode, you might have to borrow a phone to make these calls. Your telco provider will also be able to undertake the correct steps to get your number back as quickly as possible and your bank may be able to freeze your account and reverse unauthorised payments. You should also inform your email providers and social media companies immediately about the situation and check on another device whether you still have access to your bank accounts, superannuation funds, email accounts and social media accounts.
If you have fallen victim to unauthorised mobile phone porting, it may take some time to fix this problem. It is important to understand that falling victim to unauthorised mobile phone porting is not your fault and you should not feel ashamed if this occurs. Instead, it is better to take active steps to fix the problem. Fortunately, you can find additional help and resources on how to do this on the antiport website here. ACCAN and IDCARE have also prepared a useful guide that you may wish to read.
If you have fallen victim to unauthorised mobile phone porting, it may take some time to fix this problem. It is important to understand that falling victim to unauthorised mobile phone porting is not your fault and you should not feel ashamed if this occurs. Instead, it is better to take active steps to fix the problem. Fortunately, you can find additional help and resources on how to do this on the antiport website here. ACCAN and IDCARE have also prepared a useful guide that you may wish to read.
If you have fallen victim to unauthorised mobile phone porting, it may take some time to fix this problem. It is important to understand that falling victim to unauthorised mobile phone porting is not your fault and you should not feel ashamed if this occurs. Instead, it is better to take active steps to fix the problem. Fortunately, you can find additional help and resources on how to do this on the antiport website here. ACCAN and IDCARE have also prepared a useful guide that you may wish to read.
On average, people in this group scored:
Ouch! Based on your answers you would have fallen victim to unauthorised mobile number porting. You should definitely improve your knowledge on identity theft.
Visit the Antiport Project to learn more.
On average, people in this group scored:
Not bad! But you can probably still brush up your knowledge on mobile number porting and identity theft.
Visit the Antiport Project to learn more.
On average, people in this group scored:
Well done! You have been able to minimise your exposure to identity theft in this game. As attackers are constantly updating their identity theft and cyber-fraud strategies, we encourage you to constantly learn about these topics so you can remain safe.
Visit the Antiport Project to learn more.
On average, people in this group scored:
Ouch! Based on your answers you would have fallen victim to unauthorised mobile number porting. You should definitely improve your knowledge on identity theft.
Visit the Antiport Project to learn more.
On average, people in this group scored:
Not bad! But you can probably still brush up your knowledge on mobile number porting and identity theft.
Visit the Antiport Project to learn more.
On average, people in this group scored:
Well done! You have been able to minimise your exposure to identity theft in this game. As attackers are constantly updating their identity theft and cyber-fraud strategies, we encourage you to constantly learn about these topics so you can remain safe.
Visit the Antiport Project to learn more.
