Ohio Woman Suffers 2nd SIM-Swap Hack After 20-Year Number Ported to AT&T

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 19

Lela in Ohio said hackers took over her phone number again after it was moved to AT&T, then accessed her checking accounts, credit cards and even new cards before she received them.
A SIM-swap or port-out scam can reroute calls and texted security codes to criminals, letting them reset passwords and reenter email, banking and other accounts even after earlier recovery attempts.
AT&T account locks, a strong PIN, port-out freeze and checks for unauthorized users or number-transfer activity are the first recommended steps before changing a long-held phone number.
Text-based 2FA should be replaced on key accounts with authenticator apps, security keys or passkeys, while victims also secure email, reset passwords from clean devices and alert banks' fraud teams.
If attacks continue, a new number may help, but only after critical accounts are updated; credit freezes with all 3 bureaus and an IdentityTheft.gov report can limit wider identity-theft damage.