PORTING OUT means transporting your mobile phone number from one service provider to another, say from TELUS to BELL.
Legitimate PORTING OUT
There are legitimate reasons to port out your phone. You may be getting a better deal with the new provider. The new provider may have added features which you like. You are simply unhappy with your current phone service provider. In any case, you want to change companies, but you want to keep your same phone number for obvious reasons. Porting out your phone number means just that, you changed phone service providers but kept the same phone number.
Fraudulent PORTING OUT
However, fraudsters have developed uses for this service, uses which benefit them in the scam they are running. Fraudulent PORTING OUT is when the fraudster has somehow gotten confidential information about you and/or your phone; serial number, phone number, bio information about you.
They now go to an alternate phone service provider and open a new account that uses your phone number. They now receive calls to your phone number and will try to harvest more confidential information or even more victims.
You suspect something is wrong
When you phone stops working, even momentarily, for no practical reason. Your phone may have been hacked.
When you account inexplicably is closed, a fraudster has PORTED OUT your phone number which automatically terminates the original phone service.
Phone your original provider immediately. They will identify the problem specifically and advise you accordingly. They should be advising you about your credit card accounts and you online banking connectivity. Anthing which relies on transmission and use of confidential data is now at risk.
Added defensive layers
Your service provider may also suggest use of a PIN NUMBER on your phone, to provide it with another layer of defense. [ Here again a password managing application such as LASTPASS is a vital tool to help you manage these crucial pieces of confidential information. ]
