Question 1

What is Verizon doing to keep my identity and account safe?

Accepted Answer

My Verizon app and security settings The My Verizon app is central to the security of your account and your individual line(s) of service. Verizon may also use the My Verizon app to authenticate you with a notification from the app itself. This ensures that only you will get the notification and helps to protect you from certain types of fraud attacks that intercept one-time passcodes from text messages. Download the My Verizon app to your smartphone from the Apple® App Store® or Google™ Play Store. Learn more about different types of fraud and what you can do. Two-Factor Authentication on the My Verizon website To further protect your account beyond your Verizon password, set up Two-Factor Authentication in My Verizon after logging in. This effective tool helps to prevent many types of fraud. Depending on how you are accessing your Verizon account, online, in store, or by calling customer service, different experiences will use different strategies to verify your identity. Verizon tailors the experience for you and the situation to keep your account more secure. Set up Two-Factor Authentication in My Verizon. Learn more about different types of fraud and what you can do. Username/password In order to sign in to the My Verizon website and app you must setup a username and secure password. Make sure to never share your password with anyone else and use a unique password for your Verizon account. If you're the account owner and need someone else to help manage your account you can assign them as an Account Manager. They will be able to sign in to My Verizon with their own username and password, or contact Customer Service on behalf of your account. Once you create your My Verizon username and password, open the My Verizon app and enable fingerprint or face ID login. Download it to your smartphone from the Apple® App Store® or Google™ Play Store and create your password. Learn more about different types of fraud and what you can do. Verified email addresses We use your email to deliver urgent and important security notifications - some legally required messages can only be sent to a verified email address. Without a verified email, you might miss important account notifications. Once it is verified, we know we have a secure way of reaching you should we need to. This does not impact marketing emails - you can opt into or out of those as you wish. Verify your email in the My Verizon app by going to Settings > Profile > Manage profile. Verify your email in My Verizon. Learn more about different types of fraud and what you can do. Security in retail stores with the My Verizon app Our My Verizon app notification provides additional security in retail stores - you will use the My Verizon app to verify your identity via a notification sent by a Verizon Rep. This extra step creates additional security for your account with an easy-to-use experience for you. It ensures that only you will get the notification and provides security against certain types of fraud attacks that intercept one-time passcodes from text messages. This functionality requires notifications to be enabled in the My Verizon App. Download it to your smartphone from the Apple® App Store® or Google™ Play Store. Learn more about different types of fraud and what you can do. Government issued photo ID When visiting a Verizon store we require a photo ID before you can make any changes to your account. This is to prevent fraudsters from impersonating you in the store to steal your data or identity. Combine this with an app notification from the My Verizon app to help ensure your account's security. Download it to your smartphone from the Apple® App Store® or Google™ Play Store. Learn more about different types of fraud and what you can do. Account PIN An Account PIN is a secret 4-digit pin set up by the Account Owner and is sometimes used to verify your identity when you call Customer Service or visit a Verizon store to manage your account. You'll be asked by our reps to communicate your Account PIN before authorizing any changes to your account. Note: We will never contact you asking for your Account PIN on an unsolicited basis. If you are contacted by someone requesting your Account PIN, hang up and call Customer Service at *611 to ensure you are talking to Verizon. Create or Change your Account PIN. Learn more about different types of fraud and what you can do. Verizon Protect app: Digital and Identity protection The Verizon Protect app provides access to managing the basic Digital Secure features and the paid Identity Secure and Digital Secure features. When you enroll in both products, you can safeguard your internet connection and personal data with anti-virus, anti-malware and identity theft protection. The Verizon Protect app also includes a free Self Assessment survey to evaluate your online security practices. Premium (paid) services through the Verizon Protect app will alert you: Through Digital Secure about email or username breaches. Through Identity Secure about your password. If you discover you're a victim of identity theft/fraud, both Digital Secure and Identity Secure can provide Identity Restoration Services. Good to know: Learn more about How to use the Verizon Protect app. Learn more about Digital Secure. Learn more about Identity Secure. Account roles To help keep your account safe, only the Account Owner and Account Managers can make changes to your wireless account online, in the store or on the phone with Customer Service. When talking to a Customer Service rep make sure to provide your full name, as it's listed on your account to be authorized to make changes. The Account Owner can promote up to three lines on the account to be an Account Manager and make changes at any time. This helps keep your account secure because fraudsters might pretend to represent a line on your account - by having specific Account Managers, Customer Service Reps know exactly what lines can make changes to your account. Learn more about account access roles. Assign an account manager in My Verizon. Learn more about different types of fraud and what you can do. Double Check A process by which we complete a verification with the customer as an additional layer of security on high risk transactions. We'll send a notification to your device that contains contextual information about the transaction. You'll need to approve or deny the request to proceed.

Question 2

How are my identity and account protected when using the My Verizon website and app?

Accepted Answer

Your Username and password are the first steps in keeping your account secure. For added protection, make sure you have your device with you and the My Verizon app installed. In some cases we may authenticate you through the My Verizon app as an added measure of protection. You should also take some very simple steps to protect your account and the people on it:

Confirm that we have your current email address on file and that it is verified. We use your email address to contact you with important information about your account. Learn more about how we use your email address.

Verify or Change your email address on the My Verizon website.
Set up Two-Factor Authentication in the My Verizon website to further protect your Verizon account. When enabled, your account will be protected by a secondary factor to login. Verizon uses My Verizon app notifications, special links, or one time passcodes as the extra security step.
- This is applicable each time the Account Owner signs into My Verizon or contacts Customer Service.

With those two small steps, you will make it extra difficult for any fraudster who wants to target your Verizon account.

Set up Two-Factor Authentication in My Verizon.

Learn more about different types of fraud and what you can do.

Question 3

How does the My Verizon app help keep my identity and account protected when visiting a Verizon retail store?

Accepted Answer

To help keep your account secure, the My Verizon app offers an extra layer of protection with a two-step authentication process.

When you visit a Verizon store:

Verify your identity with a government-issued photo ID like your driver's license
The Verizon store rep will then send you a push notification to the My Verizon app on your device to confirm your identity. All you have to do is click the push notification and confirm the request. Before visiting a Verizon store make sure the latest version of the My Verizon app is installed on your device and push notifications are enabled.

These extra steps help prevent fraudsters from impersonating you in the store, potentially with a stolen or fake photo ID, to access your Verizon account. To learn more about different types of fraud to watch out for and what you can do to keep your Verizon account secure, visit the Verizon Account Security page.

Download it to your smartphone from the Apple® App Store® or Google™ Play Store.

Learn more about different types of fraud and what you can do.

Question 4

What should I do if my account or identity is stolen?

Accepted Answer

The first thing you should do if you suspect fraud on your wireless account is to change all of your passwords, especially those you use for bank accounts and other accounts that may be the targets of fraudsters. Then you can File a claim online with us. However, before filing a claim with us, contact the authorities to report the identity theft and request the police report. When filing a claim with us you'll need to provide the following info:

Proof of identity
Proof of residence for the period of time the event occurred
Copy of filed Police Report

Digital Secure benefits include Identity Restoration services for the entire household (even if you subscribe to a single line plan). Digital Secure benefits are included if you have:

Verizon Mobile Protect
Verizon Protect Multi-Device
Mobile Secure
Mobile Secure Multi-Device

Identity Secure benefits provide you with steps to address Identity Restoration.

You can access these benefits through the Verizon Protect app. See the How to use the Verizon Protect app page for more information.

Question 5

I received an email that says it's from Verizon but I don't think it is. What should I do?

Accepted Answer

Verizon will never email you unsolicited requesting personal information, passwords, Account PIN or any other sensitive details. If you receive an email that you think may be fraudulent, go to our Account security page to report it.

Learn more about different types of fraud and what you can do.

Question 6

What can I do to prevent someone from changing devices on my account without my permission?

Accepted Answer

Two-Factor Authentication Add another layer of protection to your account by setting up two-factor authentication in My Verizon online. When enabled, your account will be protected by two-factor authentication (a one-time code sent to your phone). This is applicable each time the Account Owner signs into My Verizon or contacts Customer Service. Set up two-factor authentication in My Verizon. Password Safety To help prevent an unauthorized device swap, make sure your My Verizon password is not easy to guess and changed on a regular basis. Make sure to never share your username or password with anybody. If you think it has been compromised you can change your password online in My Verizon. Number Lock If a scammer gets your personal information, they could transfer your mobile number to another carrier. This may be referred to as an unauthorized port out. Then, they could get your calls and texts to take control of other accounts, like banking and social media. You can set up a Number Lock to protect your mobile number from an unauthorized transfer. Once a lock is set up for a number, that number cannot be ported to another line/carrier unless you remove the lock. You can set up a Number Lock with the My Verizon website and app or by calling Customer Service at *611. Note: Number Lock on your mobile number does not help prevent SIM card changes or equipment changes. How do I set up a Number Lock? Learn more about Port Out and other fraud types.

Question 7

What does Verizon offer to protect against malware or viruses on my mobile device?

Accepted Answer

Digital Secure, our all-in-one privacy suite includes an antivirus and anti-malware scanner to help protect your device.

Learn more about Digital Secure or Verizon Protect app (the new name for the Digital Secure app) in your app store or device.

Question 8

What is spoofing and what can I do to avoid it?

Accepted Answer

Spoofing is a cybercrime where someone disguises themselves as a trusted contact or brand. Spoofing aims to gain your trust to get access to sensitive personal information.

Learn how to identify, prevent and report many types of spoofing.

Important: Verizon will never contact you unsolicited asking for your login information or PIN. If you get a call or message asking for your private account information, hang up. Then contact us so you know you're talking to Verizon.

Question 9

There are phone calls on my account that I did not make, what can I do?

Accepted Answer

If you find charges on your bill for calls that you did not make, this could indicate that your account has been taken over.

Before filing a claim consider these things:

Did someone have access to your device to make the call(s)?
Were you charged for the call(s) on your bill?

Once you've confirmed that these calls were not yours and you were charged for them, file a claim online. Make sure to reset important passwords like those for your financial accounts and then take the following steps to secure your Verizon account:

Change your Verizon password
Change your account PIN
Opt into Two-Factor Authentication
Download the My Verizon app

Question 10

Someone made changes to my Verizon mobile account without my permission, what can I do?

Accepted Answer

If you notice changes to your account that you did not make, it could be that your account has been taken over. If you're a victim of an account takeover, file a claim online. Make sure to reset important passwords like those for your financial accounts and then take the following steps to secure your Verizon account: Change your Verizon password Change your account PIN Opt into Two-Factor Authentication Download the My Verizon app

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Keeping your account safe from fraud FAQs