‘Absolutely terrified’: A growing scam could have real consequences for cell phone customers

SIM swapping is a growing scam where criminals take over your cell service without ever touching your phone.

“I am absolutely terrified.” Emotionally drained after scammers stole thousands of dollars from her, Jenna doesn’t want to share her last name.

“It’s such a violation, and I just feel like I don’t trust anybody,” Jenna said.

She contacted Cricket Wireless after getting a text about changes to her account, then lost her service. That’s when she discovered another name was added to her cell plan.

Jenna said that’s when she panicked. “I was like, ‘Oh my god, let me check my account, my bank account.’”

Scammers had taken over her phone service, accessed her bank account and used Zelle, the payment transfer app, to swipe $3,500. They even opened new credit cards. It turns out her phone’s SIM card had been remotely swapped and thieves had stolen her number.

“I understand If I lost my phone, but they just took the number right out of the phone, like through the air,” Jenna said.

SIM SWAPPING

It’s called SIM swapping. A scammer pretending to be the consumer contacts the cell provider and convinces the company to switch the service to a SIM card in the perpetrator’s possession, which then enables them to get all the calls and text messages, including multi-factor authentication codes used to access bank accounts.

“This crime could have tentacles, and it could reach into all aspects of someone’s life.” Eva Velazquez with Identity Theft Resource Center says the scam is a growing problem.

In 2021, the FBI received five times the number of SIM swapping complaints compared to the previous three years combined, with losses of over $68 million.

Velazquez says using authentication apps can limit swapping because the apps are tied to the device, not the number and stresses that taking quick action is key. “The longer the thieves have access to your phone number, the more damage they can inflict on you.”

Jenna froze her credit, and filed reports with the FBI, local police, and the state attorney general’s office.

In a statement, Cricket Wireless said: “Fraudulent SIM swaps are a form of theft committed by sophisticated criminals. We have security measures in place to help defeat them, and we work closely with law enforcement, our industry and consumers to help prevent this type of crime. "

According to Jenna, she finally got her number back. She is hopeful her bank will refund the stolen money. “I still don’t know exactly what happened and how secure or unsecure I am,” Jenna said.

PROTECING YOURSELF

Setting up additional pins and using facial recognition and fingerprint technology can add layers of protection.

If your SIM has been swapped, make sure you report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.Gov.

Additional information from Cricket Wireless:

You can learn more about fraudulent SIM swaps, how we work to defeat them and what customers can do to better protect themselves on the Cricket Fraud Protection webpage.

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