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New banking security measure could end the expat lifestyle.E

Last activity 22 September 2022 by Guest7953

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windboater

credit cards can get you money overseas but doing any real banking or brokerage action could soon be out of the question for many longer term expats.
Banks and investment houses are tightening their access security.  Access may soon be nearly impossible for expats.
Since covid forced me home I have been noticing these changes with alarm.  Most, if not all US banks have stopped allowing you to authenticate your access with with your email address. If you are like me and travel for months at a time, you would get a local phone rather than go to the expense and trouble of using a US based phone while traveling. The service is almost alway better and  substandcally less expensive.  But the banks will not allow you to use a local phone ,say in Colombia to access your account and make transactions.
I guess they expect you to carry an extra US Based phone with you solely to access your bank accounts. They must think that because you would find it hard, if not impossible to use it for anything else during the trip. I use to use my email address to receive authentication codes but that option has all but vanished.

You certainly wouldn’t want to make international calls using a us based phone overseas. ,  the roaming charges would eat you alive. Besides A local SIM card for your phone cost only about $ 30  or so a month and the quality is so much better.
The whole thing is ridiculous most of the cellular base equipment  used in the US today is manufacture overseas by foreigner.
Has anyone figured out a work around, short of cutting yourself off from  accounts and hoping for the best. I recently was told same bank will let you register a local phone but I haven’t heard which bank does that. I’d gladly move my accounts!

CaliRay

For receiving authentication codes I use two methods depending on which one will work. I have a cheap internet phone service with a virtual number. Most codes can be received as SMS. I coordinate with a family member in the US to receive codes when I can't get them directly. They get the code, call me with it and I enter it into the form. I also have a Bancolombia account and can send money in a very short time from my US bank to that account. I sent money only this morning using a service called Wise. The money was in my Colombian account within about 40 minutes from the time I initiated the transfer. For purchases or cash in Colombia I use my Bancolombia card. Colombia is the only country where I have experience but what I use works for me.

windboater

Caliray, who do you have the internet phone service with a virtual number with? Thanks

CaliRay

Dingtone. The app can be found on both Apple and Android stores. Relatively short learning curve for using it. I have set up two virtual phone numbers. I spend maybe a little more than $5/month depending on how many minutes and/or messages I use.

Depending on your internet quality it can be a little buggy but overall serves the purpose.

cccmedia

Good job, CaliRay. :top:

It took you about two seconds to expose the clickbait title of this thread as unworthy of our site.

There's always a workaround for stuff like this.  The "Expat lifestyle" was never threatened with extinction.

cccmedia

nkristol

for the us, ultramobile. a lot of banks (bank of america comes to mind) absolutely will not work with a VOIP app even with a US based number. ultramobile works and costs $5 a month to receive your codes.

be aware that bancolombia is pulling the same trick, and you won't find out until you go overseas and find they blocked your account until you're in colombia, not that you should trust them with a peso anyhow

windboater

Thanks nkristol, ordered a sim from them for a year of service. Should arrive in plenty of time for my trip. If it works, then say it will, I’ll be so happy.  Will hold onto it until I move from Taiwan back to medellin.
Will let you know how it works in Taiwan, regards windboater

Jeepster14

Personally I have absolutely no USA dollars in any Colombian Bank

windboater

If I had a cedula things would be slightly better  but with my income coming from the US I  still be an issue with the new banking measure I discussed.

windboater

nkristol, you must of had your account for a while.  the cheapest plan now is 10 a month if you by a year at a time plus you must setup and prepay a roaming account. Still if it works it will same hundreds over paying for my regular cellular account. Thanks again.

AgroSurAmerica

I should be leaving for the US within 2 months at the most.....could be next week..........I bank and pay all my bills online using BanColombia..............am I to understand that once in the USA I will not be able to log-in top my BC account and pay my bills.........all I will be able to do is deposit money into the account..but if I can not pay my bills the account will be worthless....is that correct what I am understanding?

windboater

I can’t speak to what banks do in Colombia, it might be the same as us banks. If you are willing to drag a US (Colombian) cellular phone everywhere you go around the world then you can still pay bills back in America (Colombia). It’s ridiculous who wants drag it around for the sole purpose of receiving access codes, it’s pretty must useless for anything else while traveling. I alway get a local sim but the banks won’t let you register a local phone on their systems.

windboater

Neither do I but I still need to pay bills back in America.

Jeepster14

Banks in Colombia are absolutely nothing like Banks in the USA

Liber87

Hello everyone, 

Anyone have with Revolut Bank, this is online bank with no fees. I use them for years since they launched. Can carry multiple currency account in one. So wondered if anyone has it. Just asking because they accepted non local mobile number to use in overseas, for example I use irish address and french phone number and it is works well.

gringo express

you can login to your account in the US if you use a VPN

Over the past year they've had a bunch of mysterious "issues" where you have to reset your clave/clave dinamico/some other excuse which basically requires you to go to a branch, and until you do, you're SOL.

when it happens to you, don't say you weren't warned. the most dangerous place on earth to leave your money is with bancolombia.

dipuevel

I am a Colombian /American. After living in usa for 30 years I retired and moved back to Colombia.
if you have the Banco de Colombia (BC) App in your cellular  you will have no problem with accessing your BC from your phone once you're in usa. You have to buy a sim card for your 'Colombian'phone. I just came back from a trip to Atlanta and i bought a T mobile sim card, installed it in my phone and was able to do all BC transacciones.

windboater

I notice you had nothing to contribute regarding work arounds. There is always someone who’s only contribution is criticism.

gringo express

I realize this thread has been dormant but I am surprised no one suggested Google Voice for receiving sms texts. Won't always work, though. For my backup bank, Ally, I use Groove IP app; I think Ally still allows email as an alternative to sms.  I think down the road authenticator apps will be an option, as will Yubico keys.

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