Unlawful SIM swap activity culminates in a significant $1.8M cyber theft incident

Check your Google Calendar, partner! A sneaky hack could be waiting in that invite.

A devious scoundrel from San Fernando Valley, California has received a serious slap on the wrist—a 5+ year stint in federal prison—for masterminding a lucrative swindle. This cunning chap tricked plenty of victims, many of whom were of the senior persuasion.

Oren David Sela, just 36, turned his crafty fingers to pocketing mail, swindling SIM cards, and craftily utilizing people's identities to deplete their bank accounts, stripping them of close to $2 million.

Here's the lowdown on how his scheme worked and how you can protect yourself from similarattacks.

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A SIM card. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

So, what does SIM swapping mean, anyways?

SIM swapping is a dangerously pernicious form of cybercrime where sneaky crooks hoodwink mobile carriers into transferring your phone number to a new SIM card they commandeer. Once they find a way to snag your number, they can intercept calls, text messages, and verification codes, granting access to your bank accounts, emails, and more.

There are two common methods bad actors employ to carry out SIM swapping:

Social maneuvering: By impersonating you, they bamboozle your phone carrier's customer service, claiming their phone is lost or stolen. When they convince the carrier to activate a new SIM card under your number, they're in like Flynn!
Insider dealings: In some situations, scammers trick or coerce employees at mobile carriers into executing SIM swaps without adequate verification.

Once they hijack control over your phone number, they can:

Grab all incoming calls and messages
Reset passwords on your email, bank, and social media accounts
Evade any security alerts sent to your phone
Lock you out of your accounts

SIM swapping transforms your phone number into a master key for stealing your identity and cash.

How to avoid falling victim to insidious SIM swapping fraud

Between November 2021 and October 2023, Sela scoured home mailboxes in posh Beverly Hills, California, and nearby neighborhoods. He plundered personal details, nabbing:

Debit and credit card details
Bank account numbers
Social Security numbers
Driver's licenses

Equipped with this information, Sela deployed SIM swapping attacks to circumvent two-factor authentication (2FA) protections. This allowed him to:

Conquer victims' online banking and financial accounts
Launch new fraudulent accounts in the victim's name
Funnel money into intermediary accounts he handled
Command new debit and credit cards linked to victims' accounts

Sela orchestrated numerous fraudulent withdrawals and transfers. He aimed to pilfer nearly $2.6 million and successfully nabbed at least $1.8 million.

The high life and his downfall

Sela often splurged his ill-gotten loot on luxurious goodies, snapping up a watch valued at nearly $17,000. In 2022, he was collared by po-po in Beverly Hills and found with almost $25,000 in dough, an assortment of fancy jewels, and a horde of fraudulent debit and credit cards belonging to senior victims. Despite his arrest, Sela persisted in criminal activity. During two subsequent searches of his properties in 2022 and 2023, law enforcement unearthed more than $70,000 in cash, stolen mail, fraudulent identity documents, and banking info linked to dozens of victims.

In October 2024, Sela fessed up, pleading guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. On the 22nd of April, 2025, he was sentenced to 61 months in federal pen and commanded to fork out $1,818,369 in restitution.

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

The FBI sounds the alarm on new extortion scam targeting sensitive data

SIM swapping is downright treacherous, despite the extra security afforded by 2FA. If these crafty villains manage to swipe your phone number, they can step right over 2FA security measures. Once inside your inbox or banking app, they can:

Reset passwords
Move cash
Lock you out
Open new lines of credit in your name

They don't even need your password if they have control over your number.

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Protect Yourself from SIM Swapping and Identity Theft

To bolster the protection of your info, adhere to these essential measures:

1. Scrutinize your accounts: Routinely review your bank statements, credit card statements, and financial accounts for unauthorized transactions. Report any shady deeds immediately.

2. Secure your SIM card: Set a unique code or PIN on your SIM card via your mobile carrier. Without it, your number can't be pilfered without your approval.

3. Think twice before sharing personal details: Limit the amount of personal details you disclose online, especially on social media platforms. Crooks frequently use seemingly innocuous bits of information, like birthdays, pet names, or addresses, to bypass security questions or pose as you.

4. Implant a fraud alert: Contact one of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) and request a fraud alert. This hinders identity thieves from opening new accounts in your name.

5. Study your credit reports: Claim your free credit reports from the three major credit bureaus, and scrutinize them diligently for any dubious activity. If you spot irregularities or signs of trickery, speak up quicksmart!

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6. Lock your credit: A credit freeze curbs new accounts from being established in your name without your consent, and it doesn't affect your credit score. It's gratis to activate.

7. Use an authenticator app, instead of SMS for 2FA: Lean on applications like Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator as opposed to relying on text message codes, which can fall into the wrong hands if your phone number is compromised.

8. Boost your passwords: Craft and employ strong, distinct passwords for each account. Ponder using a password manager to generate and securely store complex passwords. Learn more about my best-reviewed Password Managers of 2025 right here.

9. Invest in identity theft protection: Identity protection organizations can monitor your Social Security Number, phone number, and email address, alerting you if they detect your info being auctioned on the dark web or being employed to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to thwart further unauthorized usage by miscreants. Explore my tips and recommendations on how to safeguard yourself from identity theft.

10. Keep your guard up against phishing attempts and employ top-notch antivirus software: Stay vigilant for emails, texts, or calls requesting personal details. Always confirm the source before parting ways with sensitive data. Installing antivirus software on all your devices can help protect you by blocking malicious links, detecting phishing attempts, and preventing malware from pilfering your confidential info. Learn about my picks for the top 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices.

Kurt's essential takeaways

If con artists can snag your phone number, they can filch your money, hijack your accounts, and even your identity. SIM swapping presents a considerable peril as it provides scoundrels with a shortcut around your strongest security precautions. Tackle the problem today to safeguard your phone, accounts, and personal details. A few small actions could spell the difference between staying safe and encountering a financial calamity.

Have you ever been ensnared by a SIM swapping scam or identity theft? Reach out to us by dropping us a line at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is a seasoned tech journalist who contributes to our website and FOX Business, gracing your mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Receive Kurt's free CyberGuy Newsletter by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Inevitably, SIM swapping is a formidable security threat where cybercriminals manipulate mobile carriers to transfer your phone number to a new SIM card they have stolen.
Once they obtain control over your phone number through SIM swapping, they can intercept calls, text messages, and verification codes, providing them direct access to your bank accounts, emails, and more.
Two common methods employed by bad actors in SIM swapping are social maneuvering, tricking your phone carrier's customer service into thinking their phone is lost or stolen, and insider dealings, coercing or tricking employees at mobile carriers to execute SIM swaps without proper verification.
SIM swapping transforms your phone number into a master key for thieves to steal your identity and cash, as it allows them to grab all incoming calls and messages, reset passwords on your email, bank, and social media accounts, avoid any security alerts sent to your phone, and lock you out of your accounts.
To safeguard yourself from SIM swapping and identity theft, practice essential measures such as scrutinizing your accounts, securing your SIM card, limiting the amount of personal information shared online, implementing a fraud alert, studying your credit reports, locking your credit, using an authenticator app for 2FA, beefing up your passwords, investing in identity theft protection, and staying vigilant against phishing attempts and employing top-notch antivirus software.

Unlawful SIM swap activity culminates in a significant $1.8M cyber theft incident