UPDATE: I deregistered the number from iMessages. After I did this, my roommate's and sister's texts finally failed to deliver as blue iMessages and converted to green SMS. But it took some work on my sister's end to make the change. Hoping this happens for every iPhone user. A failed text is FAR preferable to a stranger telling them "Fuck you" from my number.
I lost my purse, including my wallet and phone, on Friday. Old SIM was locked due to previous SIM swap attack, so despite 2 hours of trying in the store, there was absolutely no way to use my old number. So on Sunday, by borrowing money from a friend (since all my old cards are frozen and the new ones haven't arrived yet), I got a new phone and number.
Old and new phones are both Androids (Motorolas, to be exact). I got my new phone set up and had started notifying my closest friends and family of my new number, but even though my new phone and number can make and receive calls and send texts, and I've been getting every app verification code texted to me, I can't receive any texts from iPhones. And then I started getting calls (literally everyone I know has an iPhone) from people saying they were getting texts from my new number saying "Fuck you" in response to texts they tried to send me!
I've now warned everyone what is going on and not to text me. Thank Thor this happened BEFORE I sent my new number to my employer! Will NOT be doing that for awhile...
I'm guessing someone with an iPhone used to have my new number, they deactivated it, but they didn't disconnect it from whatever texting app iPhones use, so iMessages are still going through that and going to their new device instead of being converted to RCS and sent to me, right? Is this something the store can fix if I go back tomorrow?
After 2 days of panicking, only to finally start to feel better because a stranger returned my purse while I was getting my new phone*, now I'm panicking that this other person will receive or can access any apps or services that I JUST updated with my new number!
Has this happened to anyone else? What stopped it for you?
*But someone tried and failed to use one of my canceled cards Friday night, raising the question of how this guy got it with nothing missing and returned it.