How Sim Swapping Led To A $1.8m Cyber Fraud Case

A San Fernando Valley, California, man has been sentenced to much than 5 years successful national situation aft orchestrating a massive fraud operation that targeted dozens of victims, galore of them elderly. 

Oren David Sela, 36, stole mail, hijacked telephone numbers done SIM swapping, and utilized victims’ identities to drain slope accounts, stealing complete $1.8 million. 

Here is really nan strategy worked and what you tin do to debar becoming a unfortunate of a akin attack.

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A SIM card. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

What is SIM swapping?

SIM swapping is simply a shape of personality theft wherever a scammer tricks a mobile bearer into transferring your telephone number to a caller SIM paper they control. Once they hijack your number, they tin intercept matter messages, including verification codes, and summation entree to your slope accounts, emails and more.

There are 2 communal ways scammers propulsion disconnected SIM swaps:

• Social engineering: They impersonate you and interaction your telephone carrier’s customer support, claiming their telephone was mislaid aliases stolen. They past person nan bearer to activate a caller SIM paper pinch your number.
• Insider threats: In immoderate cases, scammers bribe aliases instrumentality labor astatine mobile carriers into switching nan number without pursuing due verification steps.

Once they power your telephone number, they can:

• Receive each your incoming calls and texts
• Reset passwords connected your email, bank, and societal media accounts
• Bypass information alerts sent to your phone
• Lock you retired of your ain accounts

SIM swapping turns your telephone number into a maestro cardinal for stealing your personality and money.

HOW TO AVOID MALICIOUS SIM SWAPPING SCAM

Inside nan $1.8M fraud scheme

Between November 2021 and October 2023, Sela stole mail from homes successful Beverly Hills, California, and adjacent neighborhoods. He collected individual information, including:

• Debit and in installments paper details
• Bank relationship numbers
• Social Security numbers
• Driver’s licenses

Using this information, Sela carried retired SIM swapping attacks to bypass two-factor authentication (2FA) protections. This allowed him to:

• Break into victims’ online banking and financial accounts
• Open caller fraudulent accounts successful nan victims' names
• Transfer money into intermediary accounts he controlled
• Order caller debit and in installments cards linked to nan unfortunate accounts

Sela made hundreds of fraudulent withdrawals and transfers. He attempted to bargain astir $2.6 million and successfully stole astatine slightest $1.8 million.

The lavish manner and his downfall

Sela often spent nan stolen money connected luxury goods, including a astir $17,000 watch. In 2022, he was arrested successful Beverly Hills and recovered pinch astir $25,000 successful cash, various pieces of costly jewelry, and galore fraudulent debit and in installments cards belonging to aged victims. Despite this arrest, Sela continued committing fraud. During 2 consequent searches of his properties successful 2022 and 2023, law enforcement discovered much than $70,000 successful cash, stolen mail, fraudulent recognition documents, and banking accusation linked to dozens of victims.

In October 2024, Sela pleaded blameworthy to slope fraud and aggravated personality theft. On April 22, 2025, he was sentenced to 61 months successful national situation and ordered to salary $1,818,369 successful restitution.

Illustration of two-factor authentication. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

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Why SIM swapping is truthful dangerous

Two-factor authentication provides an other furniture of security, but it is only effective if nan attacker cannot entree your phone. When scammers hijack your telephone number, they tin intercept 2FA codes sent by matter and quickly return power of your accounts. Once wrong your email aliases banking app, they can:

• Reset passwords
• Move money
• Lock you out
• Open caller lines of in installments successful your name

They do not moreover request your password if they tin power your number.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

Illustration of information connected smart device. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

WHAT EXACTLY IS A DATA BREACH AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?

How to protect yourself from SIM swapping and personality theft

Take these important steps to unafraid your information:

1. Monitor your accounts: Regularly reappraisal your slope statements, in installments paper statements, and financial accounts for unauthorized activity. Report immoderate suspicious transactions immediately.

2. Lock your SIM card: Set a PIN connected your SIM paper done your mobile carrier. Without it, your number cannot beryllium moved without your permission.

3. Be cautious astir sharing individual information: Limit nan magnitude of individual accusation you stock online, particularly connected societal media. Scammers often usage mini specifications for illustration birthdays, pet names, aliases locations to conjecture information questions aliases impersonate you.

4. Place a fraud alert: Contact 1 of nan 3 awesome in installments bureaus (Equifax, Experian, aliases TransUnion) and petition a fraud alert. This makes it harder for personality thieves to unfastened caller accounts successful your name.

5. Check your in installments reports: Obtain free copies of your in installments reports and reappraisal them cautiously for suspicious activity. If you find errors aliases signs of fraud, study them correct away.

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6. Freeze your credit: A in installments frost prevents caller accounts from being opened successful your sanction without your consent. It is free to group up and does not impact your in installments score.

7. Use an authenticator app, not SMS for two-factor authentication: Use apps like Microsoft Authenticator aliases Google Authenticator alternatively of relying connected matter connection codes, which tin beryllium intercepted if your telephone number is stolen.

8. Strengthen your passwords: Create strong, unsocial passwords for each account. Consider utilizing a password head to make and shop analyzable passwords securely. Get much specifications astir my best expert-reviewed Password Managers of 2025 here.

9. Invest successful personality theft protection: Identity Theft companies tin show individual accusation for illustration your Social Security Number (SSN), telephone number, and email reside and alert you if it is being sold connected nan acheronian web aliases being utilized to unfastened an account. They tin besides assistance you successful freezing your slope and in installments paper accounts to forestall further unauthorized usage by criminals. See my tips and champion picks connected really to protect yourself from personality theft.

10. Be cautious of phishing attempts and usage beardown antivirus software: Watch retired for emails, texts, aliases calls asking for individual information. Always verify nan root earlier providing delicate details. Installing antivirus package connected each your devices tin thief protect you by blocking malicious links, detecting phishing attempts, and stopping malware earlier it tin bargain your backstage information. Get my picks for nan champion 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices. 

Kurt’s cardinal takeaways

If scammers tin bargain your telephone number, they tin bargain your money, your accounts, and moreover your identity. SIM swapping is simply a superior threat because it gives criminals a shortcut astir your strongest defenses. Take action coming to protect your phone, your accounts, and your individual information. A fewer mini steps tin make nan quality betwixt staying safe and facing a devastating financial loss.

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