SIM swapping, also known as SIM splitting, simjacking, or SIM hijacking, is a technique used by fraudsters to get control of your phone number. With your phone number, hackers can take advantage of two-factor authentication to gain access to your bank accounts, social media accounts, and more.
To perform a SIM card hacking through a SIM card swap, a hacker will first call up your phone provider. They'll pretend to be you and ask for a replacement SIM card. They'll say they want to upgrade to a new device and, therefore, need a new SIM. If they are successful, the phone provider will send them the SIM.
Many people are worried about hackers accessing their mobile devices. While it's true that smartphones are hackable, it's not actually possible to hack a SIM card in the traditional sense. However, SIM cards are exploitable, giving scammers plenty of ways to hijack a phone number for a variety of purposes.
You're no longer receiving calls and texts.
You can easily check this by asking a friend to call or text you and if it doesn't come through then you know you might have a problem. Note: If you can still receive calls and texts then your SIM has not been hacked or cloned.
Once they have your number on their SIM card, they can circumvent SMS codes easily. When they log into your bank account, the bank sends an SMS verification code to their phone rather than yours. They can then log in to your account unimpeded and take the money.
In many cases, SIM numbers are changed directly by telecom company employees bribed by criminals. Once this happens, the victim's phone will lose connection to the network, and the fraudster will receive all the SMS and voice calls intended for the victim.
More than 2,000 complaints of SIM swap fraud were reported to the FBI in 2022, up from more than 1,600 complaints in 2021 and only 320 from 2018 to 2020. The losses in 2022 total more than $72 million, more than $68 million in 2021, and around $12 million from 2018 to 2020.
Let your mobile carrier know right away if you think that your phone number may be hacked or compromised. Your provider can help you regain access to your phone or hacked SIM card, if that's the case. Most major carriers also offer spam and scam call blocking tools to reduce the amount of scam calls that you receive.
Go to Find My Device if you have an Android device linked to your Google account and check the location. Apple, Samsung, and other OEMs have their own versions of phone-finding apps, and there are some excellent third-party options as well. If you see a second location on these apps, someone has cloned your phone.
Even a dumb phone (i.e. not a smartphone) can track you through the SIM card. SIM cards connect to nearby signal towers for you to receive calls and send SMS texts, but that signal can be used to find out your location. Cybercriminals can also hack your SIM card without ever physically accessing your phone.
Sometimes hackers who clone SIM cards are not looking to defraud you directly, but to use your number as a way to defraud other people. They can commit crimes or impersonate you for various fraud scams by having control of your phone number.
At its most basic level, the main Simjacker attack is sending an SMS to a mobile phone with a special sort of spyware-like malware, which tells the UICC (SIM Card) within the phone to take over the phone in order to receive and conduct sensitive orders.
Every phone has a unique Media Access Control address, commonly known as the MAC address, which helps identify it when connected to a network. If you suspect you've been hacked, dialing *#*#232338#*#* and comparing the MAC address with your network can help you find out.
SIM Cloning in basically creating a duplicate SIM from the original one. It is similar to SIM swapping. However this is a technically sophisticated technique, where software is used to copy the real SIM card.
SIM swapping, also known as SIM splitting, simjacking, or SIM hijacking, is a technique used by fraudsters to get control of your phone number.
To avoid succumbing to a SIM jacking, it is crucial that phone users take steps to protect their devices. From implementing security measures with their phone company and limiting how many personal accounts are associated with their number, each can prove useful to prevent a SIM swapping attack.
Basically, inserting your SIM card into another Android phone would allow someone else to impersonate you. It's easy access to all of your personal information. Identity theft is a huge concern in these situations, whether you're dealing with one petty thief or a criminal ring.
David Mutai alias Hillary Langat Matindwet, the alleged mastermind of the infamous Mulot SIM swap syndicate.
Protecting your bank account from potential hackers is an ongoing battle in our increasingly digital world. Cybersecurity in banking is no longer an option, it's a necessity. With just your phone number, a cybercriminal might attempt to gain unauthorized access to your account.
"Even if you have the Internet connection disabled, you are still emanating information that somebody could use to attack your computer or smartphone," said Zajic. Side-channel emissions can be measured several feet away from an operating computer using a variety of spying methods.
Theft and unauthorised access to personal information are common problems that can have serious financial and emotional consequences on individuals. Therefore, it is important that individuals take proactive measures to protect their devices, and one such measure is to enable SIM locks.
The easiest way to become a victim of a bank scam is to share your banking info — e.g., account numbers, PIN codes, social security number — with someone you don't know well and trust. If someone asks for sensitive banking details, proceed with caution.
Phishing – i.e. collecting login or card details – can be accompanied by the additional step of tracking the device using spyware. For example, a keylogger can be used to spy on your keyboard, which tells fraudsters what you type on your keyboard. This also includes card details you enter in online shops.