SIM swap
An attacker persuades your mobile carrier to move your phone number to their device.
In more detail
With your number, an attacker receives your SMS two-factor codes and can reset passwords on email, banking and crypto accounts. The attack begins with a social-engineering call to the carrier, and it succeeds because the attacker can answer the carrier's identity questions using purchased data.
Why it matters to you
Your address, date of birth and previous addresses are exactly what a carrier asks to verify identity. Those are the fields people-search sites publish for free.
What to do
Set a carrier port-freeze and account PIN today, move two-factor off SMS to an authenticator app, and remove your broker listings to degrade the attacker's script.
- Pretexting
Impersonating someone credible to extract information or access.
- Two-factor authentication (2FA)
Requiring a second proof of identity beyond a password.