A SIM swap scam, also known as a "port-out scam" or "SIM hijacking," is a type of fraud in which a scammer tricks a mobile phone carrier into transferring a victim's phone number to a SIM card that the scammer controls. By transferring those incoming messages, fraudsters can easily access your most sensitive accounts by completing text-based two-factor authentication checks. If you’ve failed to protect accounts with 2FA, they can use the phone number to generate existing and new passwords. They can also take over social media accounts, retail accounts, and any other accounts linked to the phone number—which is probably any online account.
The primary goal of SIM swap fraud is typically financial gain, often in the form of stealing bank and credit card information. However, sometimes a SIM swap attack might be intended to embarrass or humiliate the victim when compromising social media accounts. It is important to be cautious of suspicious phone calls, text messages or emails. Additionally, setting up two-factor authentication on your accounts can help protect your information.