SMS Security Texts while Living Abroad

[Closet_Gamer]

Hi all. As some of you may recall, my family and I recently moved to the UK for work. Amazing amount of stuff to settle into as an expat.

One thing I didn't see coming was that with every credit card, paypal, bank, amazon, and other service in the universe now requiring an SMS verification to login into an account, moving from my US mobile number to a UK number has become a major issue. Almost no US system is capable of using a foreign number. I've found myself struggling to connect to any service. Its a nightmare. Some systems will allow you to call to get a security code or will email you. Others simply have no alternative to an sms text.

I've tried setting up a Skype number, but you can't text to skype without an outbound text first. I've activated SMS on my home phone service which I can retrieve through an app, but it seems truly flaky. Only one security SMS has made it through.

I've used brute force mechanisms like sticking the US sim back in my phone when required and am considering just unlocking an old iphone and sticking the sim in to keep it as a US phone solely for the purpose of security SMS.

Has anyone discovered a scalable solution to this problem?

Thanks

 

[Alan]

I live in the UK and have a similar situation however each of the accounts I have will accept a landline, which is what my US Skype account looks like. When they use it to send a code I answer with Skype when it comes time to accept a verification code and I receive it via a robotic voice that speaks out the code. Vanguard is like this.

Have you tried contacting them to explain that you only have a landline? They are locking out many potential US based, probably older, people who don’t have a mobile phone.

 

[clobber]

Two words: "Google Voice"

Gives you a US number that allows free incoming and out going texts in USA. If you just use the app or website from abroad it works too. LIFE saver.

 

[candrew]

Hi all. As some of you may recall, my family and I recently moved to the UK for work. Amazing amount of stuff to settle into as an expat.

One thing I didn't see coming was that with every credit card, paypal, bank, amazon, and other service in the universe now requiring an SMS verification to login into an account, moving from my US mobile number to a UK number has become a major issue. Almost no US system is capable of using a foreign number. I've found myself struggling to connect to any service. Its a nightmare. Some systems will allow you to call to get a security code or will email you. Others simply have no alternative to an sms text.

I've tried setting up a Skype number, but you can't text to skype without an outbound text first. I've activated SMS on my home phone service which I can retrieve through an app, but it seems truly flaky. Only one security SMS has made it through.

I've used brute force mechanisms like sticking the US sim back in my phone when required and am considering just unlocking an old iphone and sticking the sim in to keep it as a US phone solely for the purpose of security SMS.

Has anyone discovered a scalable solution to this problem?

Thanks

We travel extensively outside the U.S. and feel your pain. Our solution involves DW using Google Fi as her mobile provider with a U.S. number. Fi also works worldwide without the need for her to obtain local calling plans and switching SIMs as we move country-to-country.

 

[Closet_Gamer]

Great advice. Thanks!

 

[bigreader]

Two words: "Google Voice"

Gives you a US number that allows free incoming and out going texts in USA. If you just use the app or website from abroad it works too. LIFE saver.

+1 on Google Voice.

 

[Gotadimple]

I live in the UK and have a similar situation however each of the accounts I have will accept a landline, which is what my US Skype account looks like. When they use it to send a code I answer with Skype when it comes time to accept a verification code and I receive it via a robotic voice that speaks out the code. Vanguard is like this.

Have you tried contacting them to explain that you only have a landline? They are locking out many potential US based, probably older, people who don’t have a mobile phone.

This problem also happens if you use an MVNO as your cell provider. Often, banks will refuse to SMS because there is no identifier on the cell number. I have them send SMS to my landline instead. Honestly, my preference is email because it is more secure than SMS. With email, if you use a VPN when accessing over wifi, you do create some security on the transmission. Not true of SMS as I understand it.
- Rita

 

[tulak]

Another +1 for Google Voice.

 

[Closet_Gamer]

LOL.

I went to set up Google Voice and you have to be in the US to do.

Fired up my handy VPN and made it past that step.

At which point it asked me for a US number to forward calls to...and wanted to send an SMS to it to verify it!

Next time I pop my US sim card in my phone, I will go ahead and set up Google voice at the same time.

 

[Alan]

LOL.

I went to set up Google Voice and you have to be in the US to do.

Fired up my handy VPN and made it past that step.

At which point it asked me for a US number to forward calls to...and wanted to send an SMS to it to verify it!

Next time I pop my US sim card in my phone, I will go ahead and set up Google voice at the same time.

Catch 22.

 

[NYEXPAT]

I have been living in South America for 16 years and have never had a problem receiving SMS texts from Charles Schwab, my email accounts,Banks, etc. maybe it is location specific?

 

[Sunset]

When I need to get SMS security texts, I use my USA phone for it.

I have a pre-paid, no monthly fee plan, so the texts only cost 10 cents each.

I now have extra phones due to upgrading, so it's not a problem, except to carry 2 phones at times.