SIM Swap Fraud UK — How Criminals Hijack Your Phone Number

SIM swap fraud — also called SIM hijacking — is a growing threat in the UK. Criminals convince your mobile network to transfer your phone number to a SIM card they control. Once they have your number they can bypass two-factor authentication and take over your bank accounts, email and social media.

How SIM Swap Fraud Works

Step 1 — Gathering your information
Criminals first collect your personal information — your full name, date of birth, address and phone number — from data broker websites, social media and data breaches.

Step 2 — Contacting your network
Armed with your personal details criminals contact your mobile network pretending to be you. They claim to have lost or damaged their SIM and request a new one. Using your stolen personal information to pass security checks they convince the network to transfer your number to their SIM.

Step 3 — Taking over accounts
Once they have your number they use it to receive two-factor authentication codes. They then reset passwords on your email, banking and social media accounts using your number for verification.

Step 4 — The theft
With access to your accounts they transfer money, make purchases and lock you out by changing passwords and recovery details.

Warning Signs You Have Been SIM Swapped

How to Protect Yourself from SIM Swap Fraud

1. Add a PIN or password to your mobile account — contact your network and ask to add an additional security PIN that must be provided before any changes can be made to your account. This is the most effective protection.

2. Use authenticator apps instead of SMS for 2FA — Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator and Authy generate codes locally on your device and are not affected by SIM swaps.

3. Remove your phone number from data broker sites — criminals use your phone number and personal data to convince your network they are you. Silent Erase removes your number from 500+ broker sites automatically.

4. Limit personal information on social media — your date of birth, address and phone number are key pieces of information used in SIM swap attacks.

5. Use strong unique passwords — even if your number is swapped strong passwords add another barrier.