How To Protect Your Cell Phone Number From Sim Swap Attacks

It’s 2025, and compartment telephone numbers are ubiquitous. We usage our telephone numbers to motion up for websites and online services, from unit and banking to societal media and wellness providers. You tin usage your telephone number to reset a forgotten password, and moreover for receiving two-factor authentication codes for securely logging successful to your accounts.

But if personification tin bargain your telephone number, they tin efficaciously go you. 

With your telephone number, a hacker tin commencement gaining entree to your online accounts, and moreover instrumentality automated systems into reasoning they are you erstwhile calling customer service. A hijacked telephone number tin sometimes beryllium utilized to entree a company’s web arsenic if they were that employee, allowing entree to delicate files and data.

This is each nan much logic to proactively protect your telephone number from SIM swapping, a type of cyberattack that involves a hacker hijacking a victim’s telephone number. The bully news is that it’s easier than it’s ever been to fastener down your number.

SIM swapping attacks usually hap erstwhile a malicious hacker calls up a compartment bearer impersonating a circumstantial customer. This hacker would usage accusation they recovered online, specified arsenic a customer’s sanction and day of birth, and past inquire a customer support typical to transportation aliases “port out” that number to a different SIM paper aliases carrier. As soon arsenic that process completes, nan person’s telephone number will activate connected a SIM paper aliases telephone controlled by nan hacker, allowing them to make calls and nonstop and person matter messages arsenic if they were nan personification they conscionable hacked.

Oftentimes, nan only motion that this has happened is if nan unfortunate abruptly loses compartment work for seemingly nary reason.

SIM switch attacks utilization a weakness successful nan information controls wrong a compartment providers’ soul systems that fto support representatives make changes to customer accounts without needfully getting nan customer’s definitive permission.

To combat these kinds of impersonation and deception tactics, known arsenic social engineering attacks, 3 awesome telephone carriers successful nan United States — AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon — person introduced information features that make it much difficult for malicious hackers to deceptively get a customer’s relationship changed, specified arsenic porting retired their telephone number.

Take a infinitesimal aliases 2 to cheque your telephone carrier’s account; these features are often not publicized very good and whitethorn not beryllium enabled by default. 

AT&T

In July, AT&T introduced its free Wireless Account Lock information feature to thief forestall SIM swaps. The characteristic allows AT&T customers to adhd other relationship protection by toggling connected a mounting that prevents anyone from moving a SIM paper aliases telephone number to different instrumentality aliases account. The characteristic tin beryllium switched connected via AT&T’s app aliases done its online relationship portal by anyone who manages nan account, truthful make judge that relationship is protected pinch a unsocial password and multi-factor authentication.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile allows customers to prevent SIM swaps and block unauthorized number larboard outs for free done their T-Mobile online account. The superior relationship holder will person to log successful to alteration to nan setting, specified arsenic switching it connected aliases off.

Verizon

Verizon has 2 information features called SIM Protection and Number Lock, which respectively forestall SIM swaps and telephone number transfers. Both of these features tin beryllium turned connected via nan Verizon app and done nan online relationship portal by an account’s proprietor aliases manager. Verizon says that switching disconnected nan characteristic whitethorn consequence successful a 15-minute hold earlier immoderate transactions tin beryllium performed — different safeguard to let nan morganatic relationship holder to reverse immoderate relationship changes.