What is a SIM Swap Scam?

A SIM swap scam is perhaps the fastest-growing form of identity theft tied to mobile phones.

A SIM swap scam gives criminals the ability to take control of phone numbers, intercept authentication codes, and even gain access to your banking, email, or social media. 

Even if you think you’re safe with two-factor authentication on all your sensitive accounts, with a reliance on text verification, your phone number is actually now more valuable to scammers than ever before. To best protect yourself, it all starts with an understanding of how SIM swap scams actually work. 

What is a SIM swap scam and how does it work?

Put simply, a SIM swap scam is when your mobile carrier is tricked into transferring your phone number onto a scammer’s SIM card. Once this happens, it’s basically game over. Your phone loses service and the scammer will now receive your calls and texts (think: intercepting two-factor authentication).

If they can reset your passwords, it’s likely they can break into your accounts. 

SIM swap scamps often start smaller by gathering your personal information through:

• Phishing emails and texts
• Company data breaches
• Social media oversharing
• Fake websites
• Malware

A scammer might start small by impersonating their target and contacting their mobile provider to claim they’ve lost their device and need to activate a new one. 

Who is most at risk?

While anyone with a mobile device can be at risk of a SIM swap scam, there are a few factors that increase the risk for others. 

Individuals who are active social media posters who tend to share their personal details are easier for scammers to impersonate. Influencers, cryptocurrency investors, and even business owners can be targets. 

The same can be said for frequent travellers for whom temporary service interruptions wouldn’t raise any red flags while abroad. 

For those who use SMS-based, 2FA for banking, email, or professional accounts, a SIM swap scam is especially threatening. 

Warning signs of a SIM swap scam

Be on alert if you suddenly lose cell service without explanation. Especially in the case that others in your proximity still have a signal, if your phone can’t make calls or receive texts, it might be that your number has been transferred. 

Additional warnings are:

• Notifications that your SIM card has changed
• Unrequested password resets
• Locked accounts
• Missing texts

If more than one of these happen at the same time, reach out to your mobile provider for damage control. 

How to protect yourself from a SIM swap scam

As they say in sports lingo, the best offence is a good defence. Here are a few ways you can protect yourself from a SIM swap scam:

1. Limit the amount of personal information you share online.

Never post your exact birthday, home address, or primary phone number where others can easily find it. 

2. Make use of authentication apps over SMS verification.

This method is much more difficult for scammers to intercept. 

3. Add a PIN to your mobile accounts.

The addition of a PIN to your mobile account also adds another layer of security, especially in cases where the PIN is required to make any account changes. 

4. Bonus tip: Get a secondary online number with Hushed.

A second phone number which will give you more control over who can contact you directly. Save your primary number for personal use and keep it protected.

As our lives become increasingly and inextricably entangled with our digital existence, a phone number is basically an identity key. With awareness and Hushed, you can dramatically reduce your risk and keep yourself and your personal data secure.