How SIM swapping led to a $1.8M cyber fraud case

A San Fernando Valley, California, antheral has been sentenced to much than 5 years successful national situation aft orchestrating a massive fraud cognition that targeted dozens of victims, galore of them elderly. 

Oren David Sela, 36, stole mail, hijacked telephone numbers done SIM swapping, and utilized victims’ identities to drain slope accounts, stealing implicit $1.8 million. 

Here is however the strategy worked and what you tin bash to debar becoming a unfortunate of a akin attack.

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A SIM card. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

What is SIM swapping?

SIM swapping is simply a signifier of individuality theft wherever a scammer tricks a mobile bearer into transferring your telephone fig to a caller SIM paper they control. Once they hijack your number, they tin intercept substance messages, including verification codes, and summation entree to your slope accounts, emails and more.

There are 2 communal ways scammers propulsion disconnected SIM swaps:

• Social engineering: They impersonate you and interaction your telephone carrier’s lawsuit support, claiming their telephone was mislaid oregon stolen. They past person the bearer to activate a caller SIM paper with your number.
• Insider threats: In immoderate cases, scammers bribe oregon instrumentality employees astatine mobile carriers into switching the fig without pursuing due verification steps.

Once they power your telephone number, they can:

• Receive each your incoming calls and texts
• Reset passwords connected your email, bank, and societal media accounts
• Bypass information alerts sent to your phone
• Lock you retired of your ain accounts

SIM swapping turns your telephone fig into a maestro cardinal for stealing your individuality and money.

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Inside the $1.8M fraud scheme

Between November 2021 and October 2023, Sela stole message from homes successful Beverly Hills, California, and adjacent neighborhoods. He collected idiosyncratic information, including:

• Debit and recognition paper details
• Bank relationship numbers
• Social Security numbers
• Driver’s licenses

Using this information, Sela carried retired SIM swapping attacks to bypass two-factor authentication (2FA) protections. This allowed him to:

• Break into victims’ online banking and fiscal accounts
• Open caller fraudulent accounts successful the victims' names
• Transfer wealth into intermediary accounts helium controlled
• Order caller debit and recognition cards linked to the unfortunate accounts

Sela made hundreds of fraudulent withdrawals and transfers. He attempted to bargain astir $2.6 cardinal and successfully stole astatine slightest $1.8 million.

The lavish manner and his downfall

Sela often spent the stolen wealth connected luxury goods, including a astir $17,000 watch. In 2022, helium was arrested successful Beverly Hills and recovered with astir $25,000 successful cash, assorted pieces of costly jewelry, and galore fraudulent debit and recognition cards belonging to aged victims. Despite this arrest, Sela continued committing fraud. During 2 consequent searches of his properties successful 2022 and 2023, instrumentality enforcement discovered much than $70,000 successful cash, stolen mail, fraudulent recognition documents, and banking accusation linked to dozens of victims.

In October 2024, Sela pleaded blameworthy to slope fraud and aggravated individuality theft. On April 22, 2025, helium was sentenced to 61 months successful national situation and ordered to wage $1,818,369 successful restitution.

Illustration of two-factor authentication. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

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Why SIM swapping is truthful dangerous

Two-factor authentication provides an other furniture of security, but it is lone effectual if the attacker cannot entree your phone. When scammers hijack your telephone number, they tin intercept 2FA codes sent by substance and rapidly instrumentality power of your accounts. Once wrong your email oregon banking app, they can:

• Reset passwords
• Move money
• Lock you out
• Open caller lines of recognition successful your name

They bash not adjacent request your password if they tin power your number.

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Illustration of information connected astute device. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

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How to support yourself from SIM swapping and individuality theft

Take these important steps to unafraid your information:

1. Monitor your accounts: Regularly reappraisal your slope statements, recognition paper statements, and fiscal accounts for unauthorized activity. Report immoderate suspicious transactions immediately.

2. Lock your SIM card: Set a PIN connected your SIM paper done your mobile carrier. Without it, your fig cannot beryllium moved without your permission.

3. Be cautious astir sharing idiosyncratic information: Limit the magnitude of idiosyncratic accusation you stock online, particularly connected societal media. Scammers often usage tiny details similar birthdays, favored names, oregon locations to conjecture information questions oregon impersonate you.

4. Place a fraud alert: Contact 1 of the 3 large recognition bureaus (Equifax, Experian, oregon TransUnion) and petition a fraud alert. This makes it harder for individuality thieves to unfastened caller accounts successful your name.

5. Check your recognition reports: Obtain escaped copies of your recognition reports and reappraisal them cautiously for suspicious activity. If you find errors oregon signs of fraud, study them close away.

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6. Freeze your credit: A recognition frost prevents caller accounts from being opened successful your sanction without your consent. It is escaped to acceptable up and does not impact your recognition score.

7. Use an authenticator app, not SMS for two-factor authentication: Use apps like Microsoft Authenticator oregon Google Authenticator alternatively of relying connected substance connection codes, which tin beryllium intercepted if your telephone fig is stolen.

8. Strengthen your passwords: Create strong, unsocial passwords for each account. Consider utilizing a password manager to make and store analyzable passwords securely. Get much details astir my best expert-reviewed Password Managers of 2025 here.

9. Invest successful individuality theft protection: Identity Theft companies tin show idiosyncratic accusation similar your Social Security Number (SSN), telephone number, and email code and alert you if it is being sold connected the acheronian web oregon being utilized to unfastened an account. They tin besides assistance you successful freezing your slope and recognition paper accounts to forestall further unauthorized usage by criminals. See my tips and champion picks connected however to support yourself from individuality theft.

10. Be cautious of phishing attempts and usage beardown antivirus software: Watch retired for emails, texts, oregon calls asking for idiosyncratic information. Always verify the root earlier providing delicate details. Installing antivirus bundle connected each your devices tin assistance support you by blocking malicious links, detecting phishing attempts, and stopping malware earlier it tin bargain your backstage information. Get my picks for the champion 2025 antivirus extortion winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices. 

Kurt’s cardinal takeaways

If scammers tin bargain your telephone number, they tin bargain your money, your accounts, and adjacent your identity. SIM swapping is simply a superior menace due to the fact that it gives criminals a shortcut astir your strongest defenses. Take enactment contiguous to support your phone, your accounts, and your idiosyncratic information. A fewer tiny steps tin marque the quality betwixt staying harmless and facing a devastating fiscal loss.

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