US phone number for online verification purposes

[JustThisOnePostOnly]

Isn't it great that they make life so difficult for us overseas but still expect us to pay U.S. taxes?

 

Question/warning: when I last looked into this issue, I was set to prime a U.S. number (meaning using a U.S. sim while in the U.S.) but then I read the fine print on the contract and it talked about how they would deactivate the sim if you didn't return to the U.S. with some specific interval (I want today six months but not sure.)

 

So I passed. Has anyone here ever seen their sim deactivate on this way?

 

BTW, I once tried to use a U.S. sim I bought online while in Mexico. It lasted for all of five minutes lol. My real goal was to add a FIDO security key to my Bank of America account and to do that they wanted a U.S. phone number!

 

But I was ready and the moment I activated the sim I immediately added the key and did it within the five minutes! Ha! First time I've ever won with stuff like this!

 

Cost me like eighty bucks total I think but worth it, though BofA will sometimes scare me with the phone number request but so far I've always been able to work around it (fingers crossed.)

[RedBackman]

MTLS2005 answer was pretty on point and tested for keeping an out of country sim active so I'd just follow that.

 

I haven't seen a sim deactivate the way you described but if it's in the contract I guess it would. I think most if you keep paying for the service it keeps working. I wonder if making a local call using Voice over Wifi would count towards that regional requirement (with or without a vpn)?

 

As far as VOIP short code stuff, google voice does accept it...so only companies that specifically block VOIP (voice, skype, etc) won't work. Some of those companies will offer a work around:

• You might be able to voice call in with your VOIP number for authentication
• You might be able to use email instead
• You might be able to setup an authentication app like google authenticator for future TFA requests
• You might be able to install a cell phone app for the specific service to avoid future sms authentication

If those aren't available and you're already outside the region:

• Some number parking services (like number barn for $2/mo) will give you a landline/wireline service that may be able to circumvent the voip blocking. Some companies are blocking both voip and landline/wireline though so your mileage may vary
• Get friends/family to help out with an actual mobile service
• Numbers ported from a real mobile provider may work for a little while after they are ported to VOIP/landline/wireline but eventually they will be listed correctly and blocked all the same. So you could have someone you don't trust (craigslist, reddit, internet strangers) get a real mobile number in the region and help with porting to something else that you have access to that you can trust. Obviously not a preferred method and I'm not sure how well it holds up in 2022.