Slamming: switched to another telco without your consent and how to undo it

Slamming: switched to another telco without your consent and how to undo it

One day you receive a welcome message from a telco you have never signed up with, or an SMS confirming a new line, plan or port that you never asked for. Your phone keeps working, but you are no longer a customer of the company you thought. That has a name: slamming, switching your provider or signing you up for a service without your consent. Unauthorised switches are not a well-known problem in Singapore, but the same pattern, someone using your personal details to sign you up for a line or service you never agreed to, can happen anywhere. It is fraud, and it can be fixed if you act fast.

How do they switch my provider without me noticing?

The mechanism almost always starts with a pushy sales call. The typical pattern:

1. They call pretending to be your current telco ("we're calling from your mobile provider, we can upgrade your plan") or an independent comparison service.
2. They ask you to confirm details "to verify the offer": your name, NRIC number, address, sometimes your bank account details or a one-time code that has just arrived by SMS.
3. With those details, and a recording of you saying "yes" to vague questions, they file a sign-up or a switch with another company, which then presents that recording as your supposed consent.

Sometimes there is not even a call: it is enough for your details to have leaked (data breaches, online forms, directories) for an unscrupulous salesperson to file the switch and collect the commission. That is why slamming often goes hand in hand with the "say yes" trick: a recorded "yes" signs no contract, but it is used as set dressing to pretend that you agreed.

How do I detect that I have been slammed?

The warning signs:

• A welcome SMS, letter or email from a company you never signed up with.
• A port, activation or new-line SMS that you do not recognise. Do not ignore it: it is proof that something is moving.
• Your telco stops billing you, or you get a final bill with an "early termination" charge.
• Changes in your online account, or you can no longer log in with your usual details.
• The line works but the network name has changed: on your mobile you can see it in the network settings; for broadband, on your next bill.
• A line in your name that you do not use. IMDA's anti-scam measures page lists a self-help SIM card checker among its tools.

Golden rule: any message about a switch you did not ask for deserves an immediate check. Call your telco (on its official number, one you looked up yourself, never the one in the suspicious message) and ask whether there is any pending request on your line or account.

What do I do to reverse it?

Act in this order, and in writing whenever you can:

1. Contact your original telco and explain that you never authorised the switch. Ask them to stop it if it is still in progress, and to restore your line and plan if it has already gone through.
2. Complain to the company that signed you up, in writing, and ask for a complaint reference number. Demand that the sign-up be cancelled with no penalty and that everything charged be refunded. Key point: ask them to produce proof of your consent, such as the signed contract or the recording of the call. You should not have to prove that you never signed up; if they cannot show that you clearly agreed, say so in writing.
3. Do not pay penalties for a sign-up you never made. If they threaten to pass the "debt" to a collection agency or a credit bureau, state clearly in your complaint that you dispute it: a contract you never agreed to is something you challenge, not something you pay.
4. If they do not reply or they reject your complaint, escalate: take it through the telco's formal complaints process first, then raise it with IMDA, the telecoms regulator. The CCS consumer page explains your rights as a consumer and how the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore protects them. Keep all your documents and complaint numbers.
5. If they used your NRIC or other details to impersonate you, also make a police report, online through SPF e-services or at a Neighbourhood Police Centre. A police report strengthens any later complaint.

If the switch came with charges to your bank account or card, tell your bank straight away as well.

How do I protect myself so it does not happen again?

• Do not confirm details over the phone to whoever calls you. Not your name, your NRIC number, your address or your bank details, and never a code sent to you by SMS. If they claim to be your telco, hang up and call the official number yourself.
• Answer with "hello?" instead of "yes", and do not answer strangers' closed questions with one-word replies.
• Check your bills every month: mobile, broadband and bank statements. Slamming shows up on the bill before anywhere else.
• Turn on your telco's alerts: if your telco offers notifications about porting requests or account changes, switch them on.
• Register your number on the Do Not Call (DNC) Registry, run by the PDPC. It cuts down marketing calls from legitimate organisations, so an aggressive sales call that still gets through deserves extra suspicion. Scammers ignore the registry, so treat it as a filter, not a shield.
• Report the number that called to sign you up: these campaigns target thousands of people, and the number usually builds up reports in the spam numbers directory that warn the next person.

Frequently asked questions

Is slamming the same as a switch I asked for and then regretted? No. If you asked for the switch and later changed your mind, that is a question of the terms and cancellation conditions of the contract you agreed to. Slamming is a switch you never asked for: you are not cancelling a contract, you are disputing one you never agreed to.

They say they have a recording of me accepting. Am I bound? Not automatically. Ask for the recording and listen to it carefully: was it clear who was calling, what you were agreeing to and on what terms? Many recordings fall apart because the information was misleading or the "yes" was the answer to a different question. Point that out in your complaint.

Can I go back to my previous telco? Yes. Ask your original telco to restore your line and plan, and ask the company that signed you up to cover any cost of undoing the switch. Put that request in writing.

How long does it take to resolve? Dealing directly with the company usually takes weeks; an escalated complaint can take longer. That is why you should start as soon as possible and keep every document: time is only on your side if there is a paper trail.

In short

Slamming feeds on two things: your details and your passivity. Deny it the first by confirming nothing over the phone, and the second by acting as soon as you see a sign: stop the process, complain in writing and ask for proof of consent, and escalate through the telco's complaints process and IMDA if needed. Check your bills every month and report sales numbers in the NoCall spam numbers directory. You will find more step-by-step guides for calls and messages on NoCall.