…
Can’t really change where I’ve been! Can only work on where I would be..
क्या मार्किट में एक नया फ़ोन आया है ?
मस्त नए फीचर्स वाला?
बड़ी स्क्रीन बड़ी बैटरी छोटा साइज और ऐसे 50 नए फीचर जिनका पूरी दुनिया इंतज़ार कर रही थी?
क्या आपका बोनस आने वाला है?
क्या आप नया फ़ोन लेने के लिए तड़प रहे हैं?
क्या आपने अपने 3-4 व्हाट्सएप्प ग्रुप्स पर अच्छे से रिसर्च करके, दोस्तों का टाइम ख़राब करके , फ़ोन फाइनल भी कर लिया है?
क्या आपने बीवी का अप्रूवल भी ले लिया है?
तो देर किस बात की?
पर रुकिए!!!!!! पहले एक बार पुराने फ़ोन का कवर चेंज करके देखिये (एंड्राइड हो तो थीम भी बदल दीजिये) कुछ पुरानी एप्प्स डिलीट करके नयी डाल लीजिये !
शायद आपकी दिमागी हालत पर कुछ फरक पड़े!
3 महीने बाद फिर यही करेंगे ! नमस्कार!
My son had his first solid food yesterday! We were wondering if he would know how to eat from the spoon, and pretend to chew and swallow! Pretty amazing how he took to it 🙂 Good boy!
You know you are going crazy when you stop in the mall with a shopping cart, you start rocking it while singing your child’s favourite song!
An absolutely gorgeous Sunday yesterday… spent time staring at the sky under a tree with family! Perfect!
Here is a link to timeline of events : https://p.bhardwaj.space/2016/03/6532/
And here is a response from Vodafone Australia’s response to my Fraud Escalation Report. They simply dismissed the case in less than 30 minutes
Complete text below
Hi Prashant
Thank you for your email.
After reading your attached documents regarding your existing Vodafone service, Vodafone can confirm it’s not a case of identity fraud.
From my understanding as this is a sim swap issue on your Vodafone account, the only advice I can provide to you from this department is to ensure that you keep all of your personal information secure and do not release your Vodafone PIN number to anyone. I can also see that you have lodged it with the police for them to investigate.
To do a sim swap on the Vodafone network, the caller/customer must be able to confirm the PIN # on the Vodafone account, if the PIN is not known or the person cannot be identified then no action will be taken. It would appear that in this case regarding your unauthorised sim swap, the caller has had your details previously.
I’m sorry that there isn’t anything else that we are able to assist you with.
Thank you and kind regards,
Georgie
Credit & Fraud Prevention Analyst
According to them, they cannot do anything! I don’t really know if I should be furious, or disappointed… Its a shame I am still in a contract with Vodafone Australia, and cannot throw these phones in the bin!
Next step : The Telephone Ombudsman
21-March-2016
7:00 PM -> I started getting calls from a masked number (without a caller ID). I picked up some initially, and thought that someone was just playing a prank [When I gave this information to Vodafone on the morning of 22-Mar, they asked for “exact” time for at least ten of the calls before they can take any action. I told them that I can give approximates and masked calls do not have a time stamp on my phone history, they simply expressed their inability to do anything]. These calls carried on at regular intervals for almost 4 hours till about 11:00 PM on 21-Mar
11:08 PM -> I get a sms from Vodafone stating “Thanks for your call. Unfortunately your identity couldn’t be confirmed. Please visit a store with your photo ID for verification.” [ I should have called Vodafone customer care at this hour, however I ignored the sms and didn’t]
11:34 PM -> I realised that my data service was not working for the last 30 minutes, and assuming that this was a technical network issue I used my wifi connection to post a message on Vodafone Australia’s Facebook page. I also checked my online Vodafone service dashboard, however there were no flags or indications of any impact on my service. I did not check my voice/text service at this time to check if they were working
22-March-2016
00:11 AM -> I again checked my data services, and realised they were still down. I took a screenshot and posted it on Vodafone Australia’s FB page. My Vodafone App still did not have any flags related to my active services
07:35 AM -> I call Vodafone Customer care to check why my data is still not working. I hadn’t checked my voice or txt services yet, however was able to call Vodafone from my number. The customer care person (using a pseudo name Ivan or something) made me enable disable data, reset network settings, restart the phone etc. He called me back a few minutes later, and transferred my call to the next level. I was told in this call that someone called Vodafone last night, and reported this phone as being stolen which led to my data services being stopped to avoid misuse. I had to authenticate myself, and the services were restored.
I asked two questions to the resolution specialist to which I did not get any satisfactory answers
12:01 PM -> My services were stopped again, and I was getting a SOS only message on the cell phone. I was in transit when this happened, and it took me about 40 minutes to call Vodafone from a different number. This time customer care told me that someone had collected a SIM, and activated it with my number. I asked how was that possible, and how can a duplicate SIM be given to someone without a valid ID check. Also asked where this duplicate SIM was issued to the customer pretended to be me – No response. I was transferred to the second level, and the supervisor Mac (Real name Mayank) told me that my number was activated on the duplicate SIM because the called completed their three point verification over the phone call, and he knew my Vodafone PIN as well (The only people who know this PIN are either Vodafone or me; my Vodafone pin is not written, never documented, never shared with anyone ever)
I asked when and how a duplicate SIM was issued, however it was not shared with me.
The supervisor changed my pin, and asked me to updated my DL number on Vodafone records as they still showed an ACT DL, and not my current NSW DL. I was also given instructions to file a Fraud Escalation report and submit it to Vodafone.
12:55 PM -> While I was still on call with Vodafone, I got an SMS from Commonwealth Bank to call them urgently on 1800 023 919 (Group Security number).
About 1:15 PM -> I was at the Vodafone retailer updating my DL details with him, when I got connected with CBA over the phone. I was asked a few questions to authenticate myself, and then about some credit card transactions in Plumpton, NSW. I told the CBA representative, that I was still awaiting these credit cards, and hadn’t received them yet. I was told that there is a possibility that these were stolen from the mailbox or in transit, and were being used fraudulently. He also mentioned that the credit cards were now being blocked, and a report was being initiated on my behalf internally as I had not received these cards yet. Also that the cards would not be sent out in mail now, and I would need to collect them in person at the nearest bank branch
1:45 PM -> I was monitoring my CBA app for the savings account, and in the process also tried to login to Net banking, however my password was not working. I rushed to the closest CBA branch which is about 5 minutes away from my house
1:53 PM -> On my way to the bank, I was online on the CBA app, however was being thrown out because of multiple sessions. Looks like someone else was also using my credentials on a different phone. I also got an SMS with a 4 digit code for cardless withdrawal from an ATM. By this time I had figured out what was happened. Someone else had taken over my Vodafone number, reset the passwords, received pins, changed daily cash withdrawal limits, installed the bank app and was now trying to withdraw cash.
2:00 PM -> I was in the bank and realised that there was a transfer made between my CBA accounts to enable the cash withdrawal as I keep the bare minimum in my day to day account, however I was already with a bank employee helping me out with this by the time. My current net banking was deactivated and then cancelled, all devices registered to use CBA app were disconnected, a new net banking account created, and new passwords generated to prevent any further fraudulent activity.
2:15 PM -> I was at the Police Station to file a report, and get an event number generated. This was also required by the bank to update in their records. The constable was really helpful, and got me a form to fill with as many details as possible related to the incident. An event number was given to me, which I then passed on to the bank. I was asked to get details of transactions from the bank, and submit it to the police, however bank employees were not authorised to print those out (probably because the case was opened in Group Security, and the cards were frozen)
4:30 PM-> I was back home, and set up my net banking, and app from scratch. Downloaded a copy of the fraud escalation report
**********************
Back to work while trying to make sense of the whole thing. This is how I summarise the whole incident now
When I wake up on a Sunday morning all charged up, and scream “Are you ready for some noise!!!!”, I am NOT referring to music! I am talking about the Vacuum 🙂
There is a very thin line between Attention to Detail and Micro Management!
Appreciate the First, Hate the other!
There is one thing that I haven’t yet understood is when is someone really upset or just saying it assertively here in Australia. Its confusing. There are times when in a meeting folks would be after each other’s lives, and right after the meeting are best friends forever! 🙂 I am learning for sure!
Anyway.. So I was browsing for mattresses last week, and walked past this very interesting high volume conversation 🙂 I would call it conversation because it did seem that the volumes were high, and a bit of assertiveness to it, but this was more of an advise which was being passed on!
A Harvey Norman employee (must be atleast 70, because he did look old, and not many 60+ plus folks look that old here), another one in his 50s, and a third one in his 20s were in the middle of a discussion. And the old man was saying out loud to the youngest one that “his generation does not invest well! This generation does not invest in themselves, but in more materialistic needs! How you look, how the world sees you, what you have, and so on.. Instead of how you would be when you are old, how your life would be when you have lived it enough“, and so on!
I am not 100% of how true it is for the folks in their 20s, but I am sure that people at my age group (35-40) are lost at this concept of investing in ourselves! Not all of us, but most of us! We don’t eat well, we don’t work well! We are all after something, which will probably wouldn’t matter in the long run!
Investing in peace, and happiness, and life comes way lower in our priorities! We tend to put an investment in the house, buying a car, and such before the things that matter!
Can this change? May be! Maybe not…
I really do! I have no idea what to do when I have do small talk! The self help articles make sense, but its not for me! I can only talk sense, and not small!
Why don’t I like it? Well…
and this also makes me realise that I love conversations.. Conversations that can talk hours, and days and weeks! and you can then pause, and begin where you left! and I am just thankful that I have friends who I can get into conversations with!
Veda : Papa, why is a Zebra black & white, and why is a Panda black & white (we were watching KungFu Panda, and have recently seen Madagascar)
Papa thinking, and before I could come up with an answer
Veda : Because they are friends! That is why both of them are black & white! Get it?
Continuing with animal discussions…
Veda : Papa, do you know why giraffes have long necks?
Papa: umm…nope!
Veda : so that they can eat leaves from the trees!
So here is something new on the Chai Ki Dukaan !!! Something that I would like to call “letters from friends“… and thanks to Nida, who works with WWF and stays in Karanchi, I have my first letter below !!!
Enjoy !
Off to Nida –
Hello everybody : ) I am Prashant’s friend & my name is Nida…before you ask I would like to tell you the meaning of my name… Actually it’s an Arabic name meaning ‘Call/Voice’ or ‘Pukaar’ in Hindi/Urdu, my mother gave me this name. No! I am not Arab but yes in Muslim families people usually give their children Arabic names from Quran or Arabic Dictionary. I am from Pakistan and after changing a number of cities/country am back to Karachi….my birth place and from where I did my Graduation in Graphic Design.
What else? I am a wanderer (GHUMAKAD ; ) and a dreamer (Prashant suggest me some good word for this : ). I wanted to be an Artist so I choose commercial art as a career and now am working with development sector as a graphic designer. Well that’s a long story why I didn’t choose mainstream, commercial work and working in this area. Hmm there are so many things which I would like to share and that I love to do….on the top PHOTOGRAPHY.
That’s a little introduction about me……….if u guys not are bored….I can write more 😉 but next time.