SIM swap
Also known as: SIM swap · SIM swapping · SIM swap scam · Port-out fraud · Number hijacking
A scam in which the fraudster transfers the victim's phone number to a SIM under their control, taking over the calls, texts and authentication codes that would reach the victim's phone.
Legal basis
Wikipedia — SIM swap scam
The phone number has become an identity key — it is how confirmation codes (SMS OTP) and password recoveries arrive. In a SIM swap, the criminal convinces the carrier, through social engineering or with leaked data, to port the number to a new SIM. From then on, the codes that protected the victim's accounts reach the fraudster's phone instead.
It is a springboard to account takeover and to push-payment scams: with the number, the attacker resets bank, email and app passwords, and SMS second factors stop protecting anything. The defense sits on two sides — carriers making improper porting harder, and institutions no longer trusting SMS as a strong factor, replacing it with biometric authentication and device signals. The FCC has adopted rules requiring carriers to verify identity before a SIM change or port-out.
Frequently asked questions
What is a SIM swap scam?
It is when a fraudster transfers the victim's phone number to a SIM they control, taking over the victim's texts and authentication codes. With that, they reset passwords and seize accounts — which is why SMS is no longer considered a secure second factor.