BBB: Warning Cell Phone Users Of SIM Swapping

The Better Business Bureau is warning smart phone users of a brand new scam that the FBI and law enforcement are currently investigating, SIM Swapping.  Danielle Kane with the local BBB says a hacker will call your cell phone provider asking that your phone numbers be ported to a blank SIM card on their phone.  Once the hacker answers a few basic questions, the cell phone provider ports the SIM information to their phone, giving the hacker all of your sensitive information to your social media accounts, on-line banking and much more.

How can you tell if you’re the victim of SIM Swapping?  Kane said your phone doesn’t work correctly.

“You would no longer be able to make a phone call.  Because you’r SIM card is what allows you to do that.  Additionally, you wouldn’t really be getting phone calls in.  So, maybe you get some friends who are e-mailing you or getting in touch with you on Facebook asking why you’re not picking up your calls.”

Kane said If you have issues with your phone on suspect something is amiss, have a fiend dial your phone as it sits in front of you, if the line rings, but there’s no response from your phone, you need to visit your local provider’s store.  Kane said whether you use your phone for personal or business use, she recommends talking with your provider about a Port validation feature, which is a second layer of questions to stop the hackers.

“For people who are interested, there is this thing called Google Voice, and this is something Google has where you can get a unique phone number to you set up through Google, and you associate your cell phone number with the Google Voice number, the Google Number act pretty much as a wall.”

For additional tips to prevent your phone from falling victim, check out the BBB's Website.

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