Ask HN: Where can I get a virtual number that can receive short-code SMS?

7 points·atdt··8 comments

I'd like to be able to use my e-mail as a second authentication factor for services that only support SMS-based 2FA. To that end, I want a number that can receive short code SMS messages and forward them to an e-mail address. Twilio would have been great, but their numbers can't receive short-code SMS messages.

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I worked with a company called Tatango awhile back. Usually they are marketing companies that use a downstream provider.

There’s a few providers, I recall that AT&T and Verizon OEMd one. Iirc, most people use a broker type service that manages the relationships between the 20 or so carriers/MVNOs. There are pretty strict rules if you roll your own, and the costs were pretty high.

None, if there were there, it'd be abused and shortly banned from receiving SMS messages. There are loads of black hats that would swarm to such a solution.

If I get a Twilio number and register it as my 2FA in some app, how is a hacker going to abuse that because the origin of SMS messages is a shortcode?

Twilio numbers work with some services. Others list them as invalid phone numbers.

I also started receiving texts on my skype number few weeks ago.

https://support.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/223134047-Can-m...

you can get a number from https://engagespark.com, but you can't receive to email, but to an http endpoint. And Zappier could bridge that gap.

I use Google Voice.

Twilio

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