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"I was at home and suddenly my phone went to 'No Service.' I thought it was just a network glitch. I didn't realise until the next morning that someone had called my mobile provider, pretended to be me, and moved my number to their SIM."

"They used my phone number to reset my account password and stole £3,000 while I was asleep. Because I had no signal, I didn't get any of the account's alert texts until it was too late."

SIM Swap fraud is a silent but devastating attack where a criminal steals your mobile identity. It begins with the criminal gathering your personal data, like your full name, date of birth, and address, through social media or phishing.

They then contact your mobile provider, impersonate you, and claim they have lost their phone. They trick the provider into porting your phone number to a new SIM card that is physically in the criminal’s possession.

The moment the switch happens, your phone will suddenly lose all signal, displaying 'SOS only' or 'SIM not provisioned'. While you are disconnected and troubleshooting your 'Network glitch', the criminal is using your phone to reset your account passwords and authorise transfers.

• Act on signal loss immediately: If your phone loses signal unexpectedly in a place you usually have full service, do not assume it’s a network error. Contact your mobile provider immediately from another phone to check if a SIM swap has been requested
• Monitor your email: Scammers often reset your email password first to monitor your account alerts. If you see 'New login' notifications for your email, change your passwords and check your mobile signal instantly

• Set a SIM PIN: Add a 4-digit PIN to your SIM card in your phone settings. This ensures that even if a criminal tries to move your number or use your physical SIM in another device, it cannot be used without the code
• Move to authenticator apps: Whenever possible, switch your 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) from SMS texts to a reliable authenticator app. These are tied to your physical hardware, not your phone number, making them immune to SIM swaps
• Protect your device: Ensure your phone is protected by a strong passcode and biometric security. Familiarise yourself with 'Find My Device'. If your phone is stolen, these tools stop a thief from accessing your apps to prevent fraudulent access