A SIM swap is a scam where fraudsters trick your phone carrier into moving your phone number to a phone they have. Now your phone stops working and their phone acts like yours. But you may not notice for hours or even a few days. In the meantime, the criminals can receive text-message security codes to unlock your accounts.

这是它被联邦调查局追踪的第一年, SIM swaps resulted in more than $72 million in losses, 根据2022年 网络犯罪报告.

Here are some steps you can take to avoid these scams:

在网上分享之前要三思

越多的骗子知道你, the easier it is for them to use your personal information to trick the cellphone carrier into switching your SIM to a phone they control.

保护你的电话服务帐户

Use a strong, complex password that is difficult to guess. 不与他人分享. You may also be able to set up a PIN code that the phone carrier requires before making any SIM changes. Check to see what additional protections your phone carrier offers.

Don’t get a false sense of security from text-message codes

Many accounts require two-factor authentication with a code texted to your phone before allowing access to your account. These are exactly the kinds of messages SIM swappers exploit to gain access to your accounts. Multi-factor authentication tools such as Google Authenticator generate one-use codes in an app that can provide protection. 面部或指纹扫描, 或者是生成代码的物理设备, 也能让你的账户更安全吗.

不要上当受骗

If someone calls, texts, or emails looking for personal information, do not share anything. Verify requests that look or sound official via an official channel you find independently, 不是通过回复原始信息.

有电子sim卡的新手机怎么样?

Many new phones use an embedded SIM called an e-SIM rather than a removable one. While an e-SIM shuts off one avenue scammers take—the claim that a physical SIM was damaged or lost—there is nothing about the technology itself that prevents a SIM swap. If criminals can convince the phone carrier to switch your existing e-SIM to a phone in their possession, 你的账目有问题.

If you think you may be the victim of a SIM swap, call your phone carrier immediately. Change your passwords and check all of your accounts for any activity you don’t recognize. Consider freezing your credit file through the credit bureaus. You can sign up for identity theft monitoring services for further protection. 联邦贸易委员会网站的身份盗窃.gov offers useful resources in case your information was compromised.