I need help regarding how to receive SMS (AT&T)

[Jay J.]

This is a security feature imposed by some banks, not a matter of messaging or networks. So, there is no general VOIP solution. The USBank, for example (the USBank, not a US Bank), does not even allow registering a phone number if it belongs to a VOIP service. You can find a VOIP provider that allows you to receive SMSes, but if the bank does not send SMS to VOIP numbers according to their policies, you are out of luck.

See this

Keeping US cell phone number for text & talk when moving there

Which services let you receive those SMS messages from banks? Google Voice doesn’t? Last time I reasearched it, 3 years ago, I chose Google Fi. To optimize it I bought a Google Pixel 3A phone for $350, at that time. I've been entirely pleased with Google Fi and the Pixel 3A especially the...

baexpats.org

lunar ..... you are wholly correct.

Oddly, my bank at 0300 today sent me an email to say that they had verified my (VOIP) number. How? I have no idea as I never received a request on my VOIP app from the bank to enroll the VOIP number by replying 'YES ENROLL'. So, maybe I'll catch a break and be able to enable voice verification on Tuesday, which is all I am trying to do in order to circumvent, going forward, this authentication nightmare.

Have a good weekend. Cheers.

 

[Rich One]

Someone mentioned on this thread that while being abroad instead of sending an SMS verification code they can ask for his email..? How is this setup.

 

[Jay J.]

My experience is that 'they' send SMS codes to the phone itself with the thinking that while usernames and passwords can be hacked, it is likely that the rightful owner will have possession of the working phone. That's what I was told by my bank.

Last week I subscribed to a service called One SimCard that was supposed to forward almost all types of SMS, including banks, to my email and local BA phone number, which it does. But so far the SMS are not visible in their Android app which is their method of responding to the SMS codes. So, I can receive and view the SMS codes from my U.S. bank but I cannot respond to them. So, it is useless.

If I ever get this worked out, I'll let everyone know the solution. Because, in my case, it's a big problem.

 

[lunar]

Last week I subscribed to a service called One SimCard that was supposed to forward almost all types of SMS, including banks, to my email and local BA phone number, which it does. But so far the SMS are not visible in their Android app which is their method of responding to the SMS codes. So, I can receive and view the SMS codes from my U.S. bank but I cannot respond to them. So, it is useless.

I can reply to Paypal confirmation messages via Google Voice using the Android App.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

Possibly not useful to you in the short term but I have a quad band, 2G, PAYG soapbar/featurephone that I use almost exclusively for 2FA. Quad band works (almost) anywhere in the world and although 3G and in some places even 4G is in the process of being switched off, I believe that 2G is so baked into the retail infrastructure that it will be with us for a long time yet.

 

[Jay J.]

I can reply to Paypal confirmation messages via Google Voice using the Android App.

Hi lunar. I don't know how, but on Sunday the bank sent me a confirmation message saying that it had verified my VOIP phone number. And then I added that VOIP phone number to my Skype caller ID profile.

So now, when I call the bank via Skype, the bank sees that I am calling with the (VOIP) phone number the bank recently verified. This is odd since a few times previously, the bank's customer service center in the Philippines said that VOIP number was ineligible. So, somehow, I caught a break.

On Monday, I called the online banking center using Skype. The caller ID showed the newly verified VOIP number. Then through IVR I requested voice verification. After repeating the same phrase three times, I was voice verified and received a confirming email the following day.

This was a huge monkey off my back as the bank was insisting that my only recourse was to go to the nearest bank office - 18 hours round trip to Miami.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Jay J.]

Possibly not useful to you in the short term but I have a quad band, 2G, PAYG soapbar/featurephone that I use almost exclusively for 2FA. Quad band works (almost) anywhere in the world and although 3G and in some places even 4G is in the process of being switched off, I believe that 2G is so baked into the retail infrastructure that it will be with us for a long time yet.

Hello. I caught a lucky break. Please see my response to lunar. My phone went missing and so I had to quickly buy a replacement.

Have a great day.