Home » SIM Swapping – Why and how to keep your phone number safe

SIM Swapping – Why and how to keep your phone number safe

14th May 2026

SIM Swapping – Why and how to keep your phone number safe

Download the plain text version of this blog here: SIM Swapping blog plain text version

At a quick glance:

SIM Swapping is when criminals take control of your phone number so they can intercept calls, texts and security codes linked to your accounts.

They use your personal information to convince your phone provider that they are you, answering any security questions with the information they have stolen.

If your phone suddenly loses signal or something does not look right, act quickly and contact your phone provider.

NEW online course on SIM Swapping

Keep reading for more info and advice on SIM Swapping.

Or head to our NEW course ‘Saying safe from SIM Swapping’ on our online learning platform My.Lead.org.uk

Image of an e-learning course titled ‘Staying safe from SIM swapping’, the course image is of a SIM card with a criminal on it.

Staying safe from SIM Swapping

For SIM Swapping to work, cyber criminals have to convince your phone provider that they are you. They do this through gathering your personal information to answer any of the security questions.

They gather your personal information through phishing emails or texts, data breeches or by reading your social media posts.

Here are three things you can do to keep your information safe from cyber criminals:

1 – Be wary of phishing attacks. Don’t click on links from or respond to unsolicited emails, texts or phone calls. These may allow criminals to access personal data which can then be used to convince the mobile phone network or bank that they are you.

Here are some of our other resources on Phishing: Phishing easy read; Phishing scams BSL video; Phishing My.Lead course

2 – Reduce your digital footprint. Avoid sharing too much on social media, especially personal information like phone numbers, email addresses, dates of birth, home addresses. And personal interests that are common password phrases like your favourite football team, or the name of your first pet or school.

Here are some of our other resources on digital footprint: Digital footprint easy read; Digital footprint BSL video; Digital footprint My.Lead course.

3 – Stop using text messages for 2FA. 2FA is a great way to keep our accounts safe (read more about 2FA below), but using an authenticator app or a secure email instead of texts reduces the risk from SIM swapping.

Why does it matter is my SIM is Swapped and someone takes my number?

Your phone number is unique to you. It can make life a bit complicated or be a hassle if you ever change your phone number. There’s lots of people to update as well as essential services like your doctor, or any of your online accounts like your bank or social media.

Your phone number can also act as your 2-Factor Authentication (2FA). This is a second layer of security that works alongside your password to keep your accounts and information safe. It works by sending a code via SMS (text) to your phone number when logging in to an account.

2FA was once a very safe way of protecting or recovering our accounts, but SIM Swapping is a very clever way of cyber criminals getting round this. They can’t bypass 2FA or guess your codes, but they can steal your texts by SIM Swapping.

If cyber criminals are successful in a SIM Swap they have access to your phone number and can pass any 2-Factor Authentication texts. They can then access your accounts and banking as they not only have your passwords but a secondary way of proving they are you.

How do I know if I’ve been SIM Swapped?

Here are four things to look out for that might be indicators your SIM has been swapped:

1 – You can’t make calls or send texts, your mobile isn’t connecting to service anymore.

2 – Your mobile phone provider notifies you that your SIM card or phone number has been activated on a different device, and you weren’t expecting this.

3 – You lose access to accounts, your login credentials no longer work for things like online banking.

4 – Your contacts have started receiving requests for money from you that you have no knowledge of.

What do I do if I think I’ve been SIM Swapped?

Call your network provider immediately. If you receive unsolicited text or email about your SIM being ported or a PAC request, or you unexpectedly lose phone service, you will need to notify your provider.

Inform your banks as soon as possible. The fraudster may attempt to make a money transfer online or over the phone and therefore alert the bank so they can stop any unauthorised transactions.

Report to Police Scotland by calling 101.

For more advice on cyber scams or keeping yourself safe online, see our other accessible resources:

Or head to CyberScotland for more advice and guidance.

🛡️ Cyber Tuesday 🌐

Get more Cyber tips every Tuesday by following us on social media. Find us on:

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or LinkedIn @LeadScotland.

For organisations

Lead Scotland are committed to delivering high quality, accessible, and free digital skills and cyber training, especially to disabled people, carers, marginalised groups, and organisations that work with these groups. Let us know what you are interested in and we can organise a session (or more) to make sure you, or the people you support, are safe online. Register your interest in this online form.

Or get in touch for a chat by emailing us at cyberproject@lead.org.uk