SIM Fraud or “SIM-Jacking”
Bluetone has become increasingly aware of a worrying type of SIM fraud known as “SIM-Jacking” which we are keen to keep our customers informed about and hopefully help to protect them against!
The fraud basically involves the criminals hijacking the victim’s phone number and reactivating it on another SIM. Once the fraudster has access to the phone, they then have a way in to the user’s email, social media or even mobile banking apps through intercepting the two-factor authentication system. The frightening aspect of this type of crime is that the information the criminals need, such as date of birth, is often easily available on social media and can be used to convince a sales rep that they are a genuine customer.
The best form of defence against this crime is vigilance. If your phone starts acting strangely or goes down suddenly and you are unable to make calls, send texts or use data, then either phone us here at Bluetone if you are a customer, or contact your network as soon as you can. Things to look out for include SMS messages or emails prior to a swap taking place. If you didn’t request this, then report it immediately. If you suspect a SIM swap has taken place then you should contact your bank immediately.
O2 Fraudulent “Smishing SMS”
O2 recently reported to us that a number of customers received a “smishing” text message purporting to be from O2. The message suggests the customer is required to update their billing information via a link that redirects to a fake O2 website. O2 did not send these fraudulent messages.
If you believe you may have disclosed personal data you can report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk. A password reset is always a good precautionary measure if you have entered any personal details.
We take our customer’s security very seriously and will endeavour to inform of any fraud, scam or other security breach we become aware of.