We know that When a virus enters the mobile phone, certain symptoms appear. However, these signs are not always indicative of a problem in the smartphone itself, but can also appear before a SIM card scam. Here, SIM Swapping is usually the most common.
It is one of the most common types of scam in recent years and that It can mean that a lot of money is stolen from our bank account, in addition to the damage that losing control of our phone number already entails. Next, we will tell you in more detail what this fraud consists of and how to know if you are being a victim without knowing it.
What does ‘SIM Swapping’ consist of?
This is a scam method that, as we already indicated, is becoming so common that The operators have had to take action on the matter. It basically consists of the attacker requests a duplicate SIM on our behalf and verify yourself with the company and gain control of the telephone number, with everything that this entails.
Although it doesn’t have to be a duplicate SIMsince it can also be a MultiSIMwhich is even more dangerous. And it all lies in not only having our phone number in your possession, since that is in the end the least important thing, but in being able to have access to our SMS and with it the two-factor key to carry out procedures of all kinds.
As you may have already guessed, the scammers’ favorite is the power access our bank account and, obviously, carry out operations on our behalf. Here there is an open bar for all types of purchases with our money and with our authorization. Because yes, technically we have been the ones who have authorized all the procedures through that security SMS with a code that is received in the message tray, although with the subtle difference of not being us who accesses that message, but rather the person or persons. scammers.
Precisely to prevent scams like these, it is recommended to use two-step authentication apps instead of SMS.
It is possible that at this point your doubt revolves around how they manage to impersonate us to request a duplicate. There are several aspects here, and one of them is that the telephone company is so permissive as not to request security data (of the large ones, it is assumed that they already have a security pattern to verify the requesting identity). Another is that the scammers have obtained our data with some kind of phishing.
Symptoms that your line has been a victim of this fraud
There is a clear and obvious sign that someone has requested a duplicate of your SIM without permission and that is if you receive any email, SMS or notification from the company’s app informing of said action. However, it is not always so obvious, so you should be attentive to these other signs:
- SMS that delete themselves without you having deleted them and even without having opened them.
- SMS sent without your consent and that appear in your messaging application without you remembering having sent them.
- Sudden coverage problems in areas where you usually have no problems and without there being any evidence of a breakdown in the area.
- Inability to connect to the Internet or with a particularly slow connection without, as in the previous case, a breakdown having been reported in the area.
- You cannot make and/or receive calls and SMS being, once again, for no apparent reason and perhaps even having good coverage.
- You do not receive verification codes double factor by SMS when trying to access the account of an app or service or carry out any management on them.
- Inability to access bank account through its official website or app, even entering the correct password.
What to do if you are a victim of SIM Swapping
The first thing, if you are not sure if you are being a victim of it, is contact your operator and ask about the matter. If they actually confirm that some type of duplicate was requested without your permission, you should unsubscribe and even change your number. By the way, opening a claim would not hurt to record a poor company security policy.
On the other hand, it is also convenient that complain to the bank for payments made without your consent. According to the regulations, not only are you within your right to do so, but the banks have the obligation to return the amount immediately.
Of course, It is also advisable to file a complaint with the Police in order to record everything that happened. With this, the authorities will be able to investigate the origin of the scam and stop cybercriminals. Most likely, they were also already on their trail, given that unfortunately these scams are common and the Police hear many complaints about them.
Via | 20bit
Cover image | Álvaro García M. with Bing Image Creator
In Xataka Android | What is malware, what types are there and what you can do if it infects your mobile