Cell phone now needed for Social Security AND Bank login

[OnMyWay]

57 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I think I fixed my problem, for now.  I switched to another bank that allows the code to be sent via email OR text so I get the codes on my email now.  

Yes, my Chase bank offers both but Fidelity, only text.

[AlexRRR]

On 29/07/2016 at 7:38 PM, Nutz2U2 said:

My Australian Bank had this for years. I quickly got used to it - considering they are protecting my money and off course their arses. I just use my Aussie mobile number - put it on roaming - problem solved. Then again I am lucky nobody calls me on that number :-).

 

Com Bank issued me with a battery operated device 5 years ago when i moved to Thailand for a year, when you log into your internet account it requires a pin number pressing this device a number comes up and you just enter this number to continue...dont worry they have thought about these issues.

[intrepid]

11 hours ago, AlexRRR said:

Com Bank issued me with a battery operated device 5 years ago when i moved to Thailand for a year, when you log into your internet account it requires a pin number pressing this device a number comes up and you just enter this number to continue...dont worry they have thought about these issues.

Yes, Bank of America has this device called safe-pass.  They will not ship it so have to get it before you leave and pay $20.00

If it fails when you need it, your SOL. 

[OnMyWay]

A very long thread.  As a reminder, some of us, mainly Americans, do not have the option of letting our brokerage or bank know that we are living out of the country.  They have threatened to close accounts of those living outside the U.S., so we probably can't use some of the "device" options offered.  The main reason, I believe, is that they have to comply with the complex U.S. government reporting requirements for those living outside the U.S.

So, I maintain a U.S. address and now a U.S. phone to get the security texts.

[Gentleman.Jack.Darby]

On 1/3/2017 at 8:38 PM, OnMyWay said:

Yes, my Chase bank offers both but Fidelity, only text.

Fidelity offers Symantec VIP Access, which is an app that runs on a smartphone and generates a 6-digit code that is used when one logs into one's Fidelity Brokerage or Cash Management ("bank") account.

Fidelity's doesn't do a very good job of promoting it or explaining it on their website or by any other method, for that matter - I stumbled it across while lost on their site and I knew what it was when I saw it because I use Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator routinely.

Because it runs as an app on a smartphone, one does not need an SMS OTP (text message one-time PIN) and it will work anywhere in the world and does not require cellular data or wi-fi.

Once the app is installed on one's phone, one simply calls Fidelity customer support and they "link" it to one's account.

And, if one loses one's phone, all one need do is call Fidelity customer support and they can either "turn off" VIP access or link one's new phone and VIP app to one's account.

 

 

[OnMyWay]

8 hours ago, Gentleman.Jack.Darby said:

Fidelity offers Symantec VIP Access, which is an app that runs on a smartphone and generates a 6-digit code that is used when one logs into one's Fidelity Brokerage or Cash Management ("bank") account.

Fidelity's doesn't do a very good job of promoting it or explaining it on their website or by any other method, for that matter - I stumbled it across while lost on their site and I knew what it was when I saw it because I use Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator routinely.

Because it runs as an app on a smartphone, one does not need an SMS OTP (text message one-time PIN) and it will work anywhere in the world and does not require cellular data or wi-fi.

Once the app is installed on one's phone, one simply calls Fidelity customer support and they "link" it to one's account.

And, if one loses one's phone, all one need do is call Fidelity customer support and they can either "turn off" VIP access or link one's new phone and VIP app to one's account.

 

 

I think they would be able to tell where you are.  Fidelity was going to shut my accounts down when I told them I was living in the Philippines.  I squeaked by by changing my address to a U.S. address.  Also, I don't access Fidelity on my phone, only on my PC.

It might be an excellent option for some people!

[Gentleman.Jack.Darby]

On 1/20/2017 at 10:30 PM, OnMyWay said:

I think they would be able to tell where you are.  Fidelity was going to shut my accounts down when I told them I was living in the Philippines.  I squeaked by by changing my address to a U.S. address.  Also, I don't access Fidelity on my phone, only on my PC.

It might be an excellent option for some people!

Symantec VIP Access is a Symantec app, not a Fidelity app and is used solely to generate random OTPs (One-Time PINS) used in two-factor authentication for access to one's Fidelity (or other) account.

Symantec is a computer software security company most widely known to most people as the maker of the Norton suite of security tools which includes Norton Antivirus, although they also make a lot of security tools aimed at larger corporations.

OTP generators such as Symantec VIP Access are simply one part of a two-factor authentication scheme. TFA simply means that for one to access, for example, a website, one must have two things: something one KNOWS, such as a userID and password and something one HAS, such as an OTP generated from a device in one's possession (Symantec VIP Access, Google Authenticator, Bank of America SafePass, etc.). The beauty of TFA is that even if a bad guy gets one's userID and password, he can't log into one's account without one's physical device to generate the OTP. And, conversely, if the bad guy gets one's physical device, he can certainly generate an OTP, but that OTP is worthless without one's userID and password.

Authentication apps of this type from third-party providers, such as Google Authenticator for example, can be used to generate the OTP for more than one website or other application from different companies. For example, the Google Authenticator app generates the OTP for both the Google ecosystem (GMail, Google Voice, Google Drive, etc) AND for LastPass (Password management system) - two totally separate companies and totally different applications. GA is probably used to generate OTP for other companies' applications, but those are the two for which I use it.

As well, I would expect that Symantec VIP Access is probably used by some other companies to generate OTPs for their sites or applications as well, although I'm not aware of which or use it for anything other than my Fidelity account.

OTP generators such as Symantec VIP Access don't use (or need) an internet connection (wi-fi or cellular) to function and generate the OTP - they simply run as a process (program) on the device in which they are installed, so Fidelity would have no idea where one is located simply by virtue of using the app installed on one's phone to generate an OTP. So if one is somewhat paranoid (and there's nothing wrong with that these days), one would use a desktop browser (using a VPN to ensure that Fidelity's system "sees" one as being in the U.S.) to enter one's userID and password and Symantec VIP Access on one's phone (in airplane mode to ensure that wi-fi and cellular connections are disabled) to generate the OTP.
 

 

 

 

 

[davewe]

On 1/20/2017 at 7:30 PM, OnMyWay said:

I think they would be able to tell where you are.  Fidelity was going to shut my accounts down when I told them I was living in the Philippines.  I squeaked by by changing my address to a U.S. address.  Also, I don't access Fidelity on my phone, only on my PC.

It might be an excellent option for some people!

I would like to hear more about what you were told about shutting down your accounts. I met with Fidelity last week to discuss my impending retirement and its impact on my retirement accounts. The guy had heard nothing about problems living abroad. So I would be curious.

[OnMyWay]

Thanks for the details!  I can see how it might work for me.

Question:  So, if I ask Fidelity to activate VIP Access for me, my login screen will change and it will always have a spot to put in the OTP?

[OnMyWay]

3 minutes ago, davewe said:

I would like to hear more about what you were told about shutting down your accounts. I met with Fidelity last week to discuss my impending retirement and its impact on my retirement accounts. The guy had heard nothing about problems living abroad. So I would be curious.

I will PM you later after I dig for something.