As of: February 20, 2024, 5:19 a.m
By: Sandra Sporer, Philipp Bräuner
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In the new scam currently going around, criminals use e-SIM cards to render cell phones unusable and at the same time gain access to additional accounts.
© Franziska Gabbert/dpa-tmn/dpa
Criminals are hijacking cell phones and online accounts through a new scam called E-SIM swapping, warns the Lower Saxony LKA.
The consequences can be devastating.
Kassel – The smartphone is also an important security tool in our daily lives.
For example, we receive verification codes if an account is protected by two-factor authentication.
This is one of the reasons why the latest scam that some criminals are using is so catastrophic.
Because it blocks access to your own smartphone and can also give fraudsters access to other accounts such as online banking.
Woman gives security code to supposed postman - and falls victim to new e-SIM scam
An example of how the fraud works is provided by a case from the Spree-Neiße district in Brandenburg, reported by the local police.
There, a woman was contacted by an alleged postman who asked for permission to drop off a package.
She received a code on her cell phone that she was supposed to give to the caller.
It is not clear from the police report whether she complied with this request.
Shortly after the call, both her SIM card and her phone were blocked.
But that's not all: According to the police, the fraudsters shortly afterwards bought prepaid cards to use on the mobile phone bill.
The victim's eBay account was also hacked.
SIM swapping gives criminals access to smartphones and other online accounts
The tricky thing about e-SIM swapping is that it is difficult to understand at first glance.
In contrast to the so-called grandchild trick, in which money or valuables are demanded immediately, the fraudsters in e-SIM swapping exploit a mechanism of some mobile phone providers that is actually intended to benefit the customers, the LKA Lower Saxony told the
dpa
.
This allows you to request a log-in code online using just your telephone number, which can be used to open the customer account.
If, as in the case from Brandenburg, this code is passed on to the criminals over the phone, the account with the mobile phone provider is cracked.
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Police warn of new scam - here's how you can protect yourself from SIM swapping
The perpetrators can then create an electronic SIM card and install it on their own device.
But that's not all: If online banking and email accounts are linked to the cell phone number, "SIM swapping" gives criminals access here too.
In this context, the LKA Lower Saxony speaks of a “total loss” for the victims, as it is now possible to reset additional online accounts.
To protect yourself from such fraud, the police offer some advice:
If you are asked to provide personal information, passwords or codes during a call, you should always be skeptical.
Hang up and contact the organization that supposedly called you directly and ask.
For some numbers you shouldn't even answer the phone.
Talk to family members and knowledgeable acquaintances and regularly find out about current scams.
According to the dpa, the LKA recommends that those who have already fallen victim to this scam thoroughly check all online accounts.
It is important to document the procedure step by step, take screenshots and finally go to the nearest police station with the evidence you have collected to file a report.
You should also take a closer look at Amazon vouchers bought in the store.
Fraudsters also have a method to withdraw money here.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at her own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.