Shillong, Oct 31: A SIM swap scam tricks or SIM swapping also known as SIM hijacking, is a new type of phone fraud or identity theft in which an attacker or hackers take control of a victim’s mobile phone number by tricking the victim’s mobile carrier into transferring the phone number to a new SIM card. Once they get control of victim’s information they can intercept calls and text messages, access two-factor authentication codes sent via SMS, and potentially gain access to the victim’s accounts, including email, social media, and financial account etc.

What is SIM swapping?

In SIM swapping scam, the scammer or the hackers to get access to an individual’s SIM card. The scammers then trick the network provider into linking the individual’s number to the SIM card they are using. Once they get control over the SIM or the phone number, anyone calling or texting this number gets connected to the scammers’ device. Then the scammers get access to the two-factor authentication and get access to OTPs sent by the bank.

The attacker may use the compromised accounts for various malicious purposes, including financial fraud, identity theft, or further attacks on the victim or their contacts.

How to protect oneself from Sim swapping scam?

Enable a PIN or password for your mobile carrier account.

Never share personal information online, as attackers may use this data to impersonate you.

Regularly check accounts for unusual activity.

Frequently monitor your accounts for unusual activity.

If you suspect or doubt a SIM swap attempt, contact your mobile carrier and the affected online services immediately.

Also, opt for a two-factor authentication security feature.

Avail SIM lock facility.

How long it takes to crack passwords?

Paytm founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma recently talked about how long it takes for attackers to crack passwords. He also talked about importance of passwords.

It is length of password that matters most. Add few small caps alphabets too to make one. pic.twitter.com/CATY4gSEPk

— Vijay Shekhar Sharma (@vijayshekhar) October 14, 2023

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