SIM-Swap & Account Takeover
Your phone went dead. By the time service came back, the accounts were empty. You did nothing wrong. Someone handed your phone number to a stranger.
Request a consultationTwo institutions failed you, not one.
That is what separates a SIM-swap attack from many other forms of fraud.
The carrier let your number go.
Your phone number was transferred to someone else. That should not happen without proper verification. Phone carriers are aware of SIM-swap fraud and are expected to maintain safeguards designed to protect customer accounts.
The platform accepted the transfer.
An exchange, bank, or brokerage accepted authentication codes sent to a number that had recently changed hands. The account was accessed and assets were moved before the activity was detected.
The number never left your pocket.
SIM-swap
Your number is transferred to a SIM card controlled by the attacker. Your phone loses service and authentication codes are redirected.
eSIM Hijacking
No physical card is needed. Control of the line is transferred remotely to a device controlled by the attacker.
Store Device Fraud
An attacker impersonates the account holder and convinces a retail store to activate the number on a new device.
Carrier logs are purged in weeks.
The records that prove what happened do not wait for you.
- Note when service dropped
- Keep every alert and text
- Report it in writing
- File a report with IC3
- Wipe or reset the phone
- Delete anything
- Accept the first denial
- Wait for them to call back
If it just happened, start here.
Practical guides for the people this actually happens to.
SIM-Swapped and Crypto Stolen? 15 Steps to Recovery.
The exact sequence to follow in the hours after a SIM-swap. What to preserve, who to notify, and the moves that decide whether anything can be traced.
Read the guideHow to Prevent SIM-Swap Fraud.
What actually protects a phone line, why SMS two-factor is no longer enough, and the steps worth taking before anything goes wrong.
Read the guideSIM-Swap Lawyer Explains Crypto Theft in 2026.
How these attacks unfold now, where carriers and platforms bear responsibility, and what the current landscape means for victims.
Read the guideFrequently asked.
No. Blaming the customer is the first response, not the last word.
Carriers know SIM-swaps happen. They are expected to have controls that stop a stranger from taking a number, whatever the caller claims to know.
Often, yes. They failed at different moments, and each has its own duties.
Whether both claims are viable depends on the facts, and on how the two failures connect. That is precisely what an assessment is for.
Because the second factor was your phone number, and your phone number was taken.
SMS-based two-factor stops being a defence the moment someone else controls the line. That is not your failure. It is a known weakness these institutions rely on anyway.
Immediately. Carrier records, retail store footage, and platform logs are routinely purged within weeks.
The evidence that proves what happened has a shorter life than the claim itself.
Find out where you actually stand.
A confidential consultation on what happened and who may answer for it.
Request a consultation