What to do if…
your voicemail PIN or greeting has changed and you did not update it

What to do now

1. Check whether your mobile service still works.

   • Try to make a call and send a text.
   • If calls, texts, or signal have suddenly stopped, use another phone, trusted device, or safe internet connection to contact your mobile network urgently.

2. Secure your mobile network account from a safe route.

   • Sign in only through your network’s official app or website, typed manually or opened from a bookmark.
   • Change the account password.
   • Add or confirm any extra account security your network offers, such as a customer service passcode or extra checks for SIM, number, or account changes.
   • Check recent account activity for SIM changes, PAC or porting requests, email or address changes, new devices, or contact-detail changes.

3. Contact your mobile network and ask for account-takeover checks.

   • Say: “My voicemail PIN or greeting changed without me. Please check for account takeover.”
   • Ask whether there has been a recent SIM swap, replacement SIM, PAC request, number port, device change, or customer-service contact on the account.
   • Ask whether the network can stop, pause, or reverse any unauthorised SIM or number change if one is in progress.
   • Ask them to add stronger protection to your account so future changes need extra verification.

4. Reset voicemail through your network’s official process.

   • Reset the voicemail PIN using your network’s official voicemail menu, app, website, or support route.
   • Choose a PIN that is not based on birthdays, repeated digits, or sequential digits.
   • Re-record your greeting, or switch to a standard greeting if you do not want a personal greeting.
   • Delete any voicemail messages you no longer need, especially messages containing codes or sensitive information.

5. Reduce the risk to connected accounts.

   • Secure your email first, because email is often used to reset other accounts.
   • Check your email recovery phone number, recovery email, forwarding rules, filters, and signed-in devices.
   • Change the passwords for email, banking, phone-network, and other high-value accounts that use your phone number or voicemail for recovery.
   • Where available, move important accounts away from voice-call or SMS-only verification and use an authenticator app, passkey, security key, or app-based approval.

6. Warn banks or important services if money or identity access could be affected.

   • Contact banks, payment apps, and other important providers using their official app, website, card number, or known phone number.
   • Say you suspect your phone number or voicemail may have been compromised and ask them to check for suspicious activity and secure access.
   • Keep notes of dates, times, support-reference numbers, and what each provider told you.

7. Report suspected fraud or cyber crime.

   • If you live in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, report fraud or cyber crime through Report Fraud online or by phone and keep the reference number.
   • If you live in Scotland, report suspected fraud to Police Scotland via 101 and keep the incident details.
   • If you received suspicious texts or calls, you can also forward scam texts or report scam calls to 7726 where appropriate.