PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Following reports of residents being targeted by SIM card fraudsters, the Plettenberg Bay Crime Prevention Association has issued a warning to locals to be vigilant and protect themselves against these scammers.
PBCPA operations head Otto Olivier said SIM swap fraud or SIM card hijacking involves the use of social engineering techniques to take control of your SIM card.
There are a few methods that can lead to a fraudulent SIM swap. The first is that the fraudster obtains victims' personal data through phishing, social media searches, malicious apps, online shopping, malware, data breaches and other methods.
Using this information, the fraudster can swap the victim's mobile number to a new SIM.
Once the fraudster swaps the SIM, identity theft becomes relatively easy because the number is usually connected to bank, e-mail and social media accounts.
Fraudsters with this SIM could then log into these accounts to initiate and intercept confirmation codes texted to your device.
Once inside, the fraudster can access and drain the subscriber's bank accounts, purchase airtime, take out loans, and access e-mail contacts to scam friends and family.
"The subscriber will notice that they have lost service on the mobile phone and eventually discover they cannot log in to their bank accounts or social media accounts," Olivier said. Signs of this happening include losing service on your device or not being able to receive calls or texts when reception is clearly present.
"You are suddenly locked out of your phone's online account - a SIM swap may be the cause."
Another sign is that you begin to receive floods of calls and messages. This tactic runs parallel to the extended loss of signal.
Fraudsters will send a flurry of nuisance calls and/or messages to get victims to turn their phone off.
To avoid falling victim, Oliver said, one should never disclose banking or other online passwords or personal identification numbers (PIN) to anyone, including individuals claiming to represent your cellular service provider or your bank.
"Keep your device software updated, including your browser, antivirus and operating system. Limit the personal information you share online and do not reply to calls, e-mails, or text messages that request personal information."
You should also enable multi-factor authentication on social media accounts and never open suspicious links or attachments received by e-mail or text message.
Other advice includes using a separate e-mail address for online banking accounts and financial transactions from social media accounts. It is also advisable to update passwords regularly, using strong passwords and security questions.
"Do not keep passwords or personally identifiable information in your e-mail inbox. Set up your own PIN to restrict access to the SIM card. Do not share this PIN with anyone. Use a unique number that cannot be easily determined (that means do not use your date of birth, your anniversary, etc.)."
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