Use this guide if your phone number receives bank or email security codes, which is true for most people. Have your mobile account login or your network's customer service number ready, plus a list of the accounts that text you codes.
Step by step
Understand how SIM swaps happen and the warning signs
In a SIM swap, a criminal persuades or tricks your network into moving your number to a SIM or eSIM they control, often using personal details gathered from social media or earlier data breaches. They then receive your security codes and can reset passwords. The main warning sign is your phone suddenly showing no service or emergency calls only while others nearby have signal, sometimes after an unexpected text about a SIM change. Treat that combination as urgent, not as a network glitch.
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