13-02-2025
Deputies in Wisconsin county warn of increase in SIM Swap cases, scammer accesses phone number, personal info
DANE COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV) – A Sheriff's Office in southern Wisconsin is warning county residents about an increase in SIM Swap cases, where a scammer gains access to a victim's cell phone number which allows access to bank accounts and other personal information.
A Facebook post from the Dane County Sheriff's Office was sent out on February 13 alerting citizens about the increase in SIM Swap cases, otherwise known as a SIM Swap or SIMjacking.
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Deputies say during the attack, the victim's cell phone number is transferred to the scammer's phone, allowing them to access bank accounts, payment apps, and other personal information. The scammer can then use the victim's information to contact a cell phone provider to get control of the phone number.
Dane County Sheriff's detectives recently investigated a SIM Swap case after a victim realized they couldn't make or receive calls. A family member first tried to help and discovered that the phone number had reportedly been stolen.
Authorities noted that even in this instance where the scammers only had brief access, they already had begun to access payment apps.
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Deputies provided the following tips to help avoid this type of fraud:
AT&T allows you to create a password in your online account's 'manage extra security' portion
T-Mobile lets you turn on the 'Account Takeover Protection' feature
Verizon has a 'Number Lock' feature you can enable
For other carriers, contact them to find out what security measures they offer
It is recommended to call your local authorities if you believe to have been a victim of a SIM Swap.
No other details were provided.
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