SIM Swapping Becomes Increasingly Popular in California, Police Make It "High Priority"

In California, where the REACT team is based, SIM swapping appears to be a new craze among crypto fraudsters.

"It's probably REACT's highest priority at the moment, given that SIM swapping is actively happening to someone probably even as we speak right now."

Mobile store employees trick unsuspecting associates at other branches into swapping a victim's existing SIM card with a new one.

" most people who aren't following the SIM swapping problem have no idea their phone and associated accounts can be taken over so easily.

The first reported case against someone who allegedly used SIM swapping surfaced in late July 2018, when California police arrested a 20-year-old Joe Ortiz, who reportedly hacked around 40 victims with the help of still unidentified collaborators.

Next month, in August, police in California arrested another alleged SIM swapper, a 19-year oldXzavyer Narvaez.

"Like a hotel giving a thief with a fake ID a room key:" Legal precedent in SIM swapping.

In a separate high profile SIM swapping case, on August 15, Puerto Rico-based entrepreneur and CEO of TransformGroup, Michael Terpin, filed a $224 million lawsuit against AT&T. He believes that the telecom giant had provided hackers with access to his phone number, which led to a major crypto heist.

Law enforcement has started paying extra attention to SIM swapping, as above mentioned incidents in California show.

"REACT isn't going to stop the SIM swapping investigation until SIM swapping stops. If it's gonna take us arresting every SIM swapper in United States."