Guard Your Phone: Protecting Your Digital Identity
We’re all understandably protective of sensitive information, like our Social Security numbers. The consequences of a criminal obtaining it can be severe, from fraudulent credit cards to stolen tax refunds. In our increasingly digital world, protecting your cell phone account demands the same level of vigilance.
Criminals who gain access to your phone calls and text messages can potentially intercept those crucial one-time passcodes, gaining access to your accounts. One particularly insidious method they use is “SIM swapping.” A SIM card, that small plastic card in your phone, holds identifying information that allows you to make calls. In a SIM swap scam, a fraudster contacts your cell phone provider, posing as you and requesting a new SIM card activation. If the scammer has some of your personal information – perhaps the last four digits of your Social Security number, your birth date, or account password – they may convince the carrier they are you and have your phone number reassigned to their SIM card. This allows them to intercept your calls and potentially steal one time passcodes.
