Be careful: if your cell phone unexpectedly stops working, for no apparent reason, the problem could be more serious than a simple technical failure. According to Marketeer, a website specializing in marketing and consumptionthis is one of the most common signs of a SIM swapping attack, a type of digital fraud that has been growing in Portugal and which can allow criminals to take control of your phone number and, with it, access personal and banking data.
SIM swapping involves fraudulently replacing a person’s SIM card. When fraudsters manage to obtain the victim’s personal data, often through phishing, malware or observation of their social networks, they ask the operator to issue a duplicate of the card, activating it on another device.
Thus, they now have access to messages, calls and authentication codes sent via SMS, including those used to confirm banking transactions.
How to understand if you are being a victim
Among the main warning signs, sudden network loss stands out. If the phone no longer has coverage and it is not possible to make calls or access the internet, it may mean that the card has been deactivated and replaced by another. Another sign is receiving a notification from the operator indicating that the SIM card has been activated on another device.
You should also be alert if you are no longer able to access your bank accounts or online platforms, as your credentials may have already been compromised.
In these cases, the first step is to immediately contact the operator, confirming whether someone has requested a duplicate of the card without authorization.
According to the same source, it is equally important to inform the bank as soon as fraud is suspected. Financial institutions have the obligation to reimburse the customer in cases of unauthorized payments, unless they prove that there was negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the victim.
How to protect yourself
To avoid being the target of this type of attack, we recommend some simple but effective measures. One of them is to activate two-factor authentication on all sensitive accounts, using applications such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator, which do not depend on SMS.
Another good practice is to regularly check network coverage and contact your operator if there are unexplained outages. Furthermore, you should avoid sharing personal data on social media, especially information such as phone number, address or date of birth.
Using strong passwords, updating them periodically and being careful not to open suspicious links in messages or emails continue to be basic but effective measures to prevent this and other types of cybercrime.
Finally, experts cited in the publication warn that financial transactions should not be carried out on public Wi-Fi networks, as these are more vulnerable to attacks and can facilitate hackers’ access to sensitive data.
SIM swapping is a sophisticated scam, but it is easily avoidable with attention and appropriate security measures.
A simple moment of distraction can be enough to lose control over your data, and the damage can be significant.
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