Overview

• FBI data shows a 400% jump in SIM swap fraud complaints from 2018 to 2021, with U.S. losses topping $68 million.
• Ryan Sweetnam of CEL Solicitors says travellers are prime targets for SIM swap scams when they’re relaxed and using unsecured public Wi-Fi or roaming services.
• Scammers persuade network providers to transfer victims’ numbers to SIM cards they control, intercepting one-time codes and calls.
• Once a number is hijacked, fraudsters can access banking and cryptocurrency accounts within minutes and often remain undetected for days.
• CEL Solicitors recommends five safety measures: refuse unsolicited data requests, switch to app-based two-factor authentication, monitor accounts abroad, use strong unique passwords with a manager, and report any unexpected signal loss immediately.