What Is a SIM Swap Attack, and How Can You Prevent It?

A SIM swap attack is a type of fraud where an attacker tricks a mobile phone carrier into transferring or associating a victim's telephone number with a SIM card used by the attacker, gaining access to sensitive accounts and information. The attack typically begins with gathering personal information about the targeted person, which can be obtained through various means such as phishing attacks or social engineering. Once the attacker contacts the mobile network provider, they transfer the victim's phone number to a new SIM card, giving them control over the account and allowing them to reset passwords, access financial accounts, and potentially commit identity theft. To prevent this attack, it is essential to contact your mobile network provider immediately, report the incident, update passwords, monitor financial accounts, and use strong authentication methods such as two-factor authentication that don't rely on SMS. Companies can also protect their users by using APIs like the Vonage SIM Swap API to mitigate account takeover risks.