What Is a SIM Swapping and How Do You Protect Yourself From It?

A SIM swap can cause a lot of problems and headaches for victims so it is very important to keep yourself safe from it at all costs.

There are a couple of steps you can take to keep your and your phone number secure at all times.

SIM Swap Scam: What is It?

SIM swap, also known as SIM swapping, is defined by Mozilla as "a form of identity theft where a criminal steals your mobile phone number by assigning it to a new SIM card." The new SIM is then used in a different device in order to access your apps and accounts.

A part of you may be wondering if this is at all even possible. Yes, it is and the process of SIM swapping starts when the person impersonating you makes a phone call to your mobile carrier. According to Mozilla, "They will claim that they have a new SIM card to activate for your account."

Once your mobile carrier is made to believe that it is you making the request, your phone number can get reassigned to the SIM card that your impersonator owns. From there, the impersonator now has access to your accounts, apps, and other things that need your phone number.

Signs That You Have Become a SIM Swap Victim

FBI Warns About 'SIM Swapping' That Steals Millions From Victims: Warning Signs, X Ways to Avoid Scam
The FBI is warning the public about a sudden spike of phone scam cases this February. Smartphone users are advised to practice extra caution against SIM swapping schemes. David Ramos/Getty Images

All the warning signs that you have become a SIM swap victim can be seen in your device, especially when it starts to function oddly.

According to Mozilla, one sign that you may have become a SIM swap victim is if you get emails about changes made to accounts you own. Sending text messages and making phone calls may not even be possible if you have been SIM swapped.

Unfortunately, it can get worse. Your social media accounts and even bank accounts may get hacked as a result of a SIM swap.

How to Protect Yourself From SIM Swapping

There a couple of ways you can protect yourself from falling victim to SIM swapping and identity theft.

According to a post by McAfee, it can be helpful to use a password manager to keep your device secure instead of allowing your web browser to store all your passwords.

Per the McAfee post, "A secure password manager makes it so you only have to remember one password." What happens to your other passwords then? They are actually encrypted and kept safe by a two-factor authentication.

McAfee recommends that you keep your guard up against phishing attempts, which are defined as "a method cyber criminals use to fish for sensitive personal information that they can use to impersonate you or gain access to your financial accounts."

These phishing methods come in the form of text messages, emails, and even phone calls that will try to trick you into sharing your personal information,

Mozilla also recommends setting your social media profiles to private so that it will be harder for thieves to try to steal your personal information off of your accounts.

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