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SIM swapping

In SIM swapping an adversary steals your number and assigns it to a new SIM card in a phone they control. It is the same process you go through when you get a new phone and the mobile carrier gives you a new SIM card.

The adversary can now use your SIM card to steal further information to log in to your accounts and either enter a verification code or reset the account password using the code or link sent to the phone.

Prevention

  • Contact the mobile phone operator and add extra security or temporarily freeze number porting to help protect yourself from SIM swapping.
  • Check if your accounts let you use a non-SMS multifactor authentication option, in which you provide two pieces of proof to verify your identity.