Hijacked Connections: The Reality of Phone Porting and SIM Swap Scams
Imagine this: You’re relaxing at home when suddenly your phone drops to “SOS only.” Frustrating, right? But soon you realise the terrifying truth: You’ve fallen victim to a phone porting scam. A criminal now has access to your number and can intercept those two-factor authentication (2FA) codes, potentially infiltrating sensitive accounts like your bank or social media. And worst of all, you can’t even call anyone to report the problem.
These Attacks Typically Happen In One of Two Ways:
Unauthorised Mobile Porting: Porting is a legitimate service allowing customers to transfer their mobile number between providers. In an unauthorised port, a criminal contacts a new provider, sets up an account, and requests to bring your number over from your current provider.
SIM Swapping: The criminal contacts your existing provider and requests a new SIM card activation using your number.
The Growing Threat
Phone porting and SIM swapping are on the rise. IDCARE has seen a 240% increase in cases of clients seeking assistance for phone porting and SIM swap fraud in 2024 compared to 2023. Alarmingly, 90% of these events occurred without the victim’s engagement.
While some clients noticed unusual activity—such as receiving unexpected “sorry to see you go” texts from their telco or multiple one-time passcodes (OTPs)—most were blindsided. The first indication that something was wrong was when their phone switched to “SOS-only” mode, leaving them unable to make or receive calls or texts.
Protecting Yourself From Phone Porting Scams
While these scams are sophisticated, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk:
- Choose App-Based Two-Factor Authentication: Use app-based 2FA, like Google Authenticator or Authy, instead of SMS-based 2FA for critical accounts.
- Monitor Account Activity: Keep an eye out for unusual account changes or notifications, and act quickly if something feels off.
- Act Immediately if Your Phone Switches to SOS Mode: If your phone unexpectedly loses service, contact your provider immediately to check if your number has been ported without your consent.