Security News > 2020 > November > Convicted SIM Swapper Gets 3 Years in Jail

The defendant is part of an alleged conspiracy involving at least eight others in the United States who stand accused of theft via SIM swapping, a crime that involves convincing mobile phone company employees to transfer ownership of the target's phone number to a device the attackers control.

Freeman was named as a member of a group of alleged SIM swappers called "The Community" charged last year with wire fraud in connection with SIM swapping attacks that netted in excess of $2.4 million.

Prosecutors say the men would identify people likely to have significant cryptocurrency holdings, then pay their phone company cohorts to transfer the victim's mobile service to a new SIM card - the smart chip in each phone that ties a customer's device to their number.

A fraudulent SIM swap allows the bad guys to intercept a target's incoming phone calls and text messages.

One way to protect your accounts against SIM swappers is to remove your phone number as a primary or secondary authentication mechanism wherever possible.

News URL

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/11/convicted-sim-swapper-gets-3-years-in-jail/