Security News > 2021 > February > SIM hijackers arrested after stealing millions from US celebrities
Ten men part of a criminal gang involved in series of SIM swapping attacks targeting high-profile victims in the United States were arrested in the UK, Malta, and Belgium.
SIM swap fraud allows scammers to take control of a target's phone number either via social engineering or by bribing mobile operator employees to port it to a SIM controlled by the fraudster.
Last year, Europol arrested suspects part of two other SIM swapping criminal gangs who stole millions from their victims, in collaboration with local law enforcement agencies from Spain, Austria, and Romania.
Following successful SIM hijacking attacks, the eight men arrested in England and Scotland accessed the victims' phone numbers and take control of their apps or accounts by changing the passwords.
Europol has also shared measures you can take to block SIM hijackers from stealing your credentials and locking you out of your accounts.
The FBI issued a SIM swapping alert with guidance on defending against such attacks following an increase in the number of SIM jacking attacks.