Someone Swapped My SIM or Ported My Number: What to Do Now

Did your phone suddenly lose service, or does it only let you call 911? When a scammer moves your number to a phone they control, that’s typically the first sign, the FCC says (FCC). Here’s what to do in the first hour, how to get your accounts back and lock your number, and where to report it.

What to do in the first hour

1. Contact your carrier from another phone or a computer. Use a number you trust, like the one on your bill or its website (FCC), and ask it to give you back control of your number (FBI). Carrier contacts are in the table below. If you go to a store, bring a photo ID: Verizon, for one, requires it before any account change (Verizon).
2. Call your bank and other financial institutions (FCC). Ask them to flag your accounts for suspicious logins and transactions (FBI).
3. Secure your email. Whoever controls it can request password reset links for your other accounts and lock you out (FTC). Change the password. If someone already got in, see what to do if your email was hacked.
4. Change your other passwords (FBI) and check your credit card, bank and other financial accounts for charges or changes you didn’t make. Report any to the company (FTC).

Signs of a SIM swap or port-out

• No service. No calls, texts or data (FTC), or a phone that only allows 911 calls (FCC).
• A carrier notice you didn’t expect: your SIM was activated on a new device (FTC), your number is being moved, or a number transfer PIN was created (Verizon).
• Alerts about changes you didn’t make to your bank or other accounts (FCC).

Is my number ported? Sometimes you won’t know until your phone stops working (Verizon). If you get one of those notices but still have service, someone may be trying. Act now, but reach your carrier through a number you trust, not a link or number in the message (FCC).

Not the same as spoofing. If your phone works normally but people call to say your number showed up on their caller ID, your number was likely spoofed (FCC). That’s a different problem: see someone is using my phone number.

SIM swap vs. port-out fraud: how it happens

The FCC describes two ways criminals take over a phone number (FCC):

• SIM swap: they convince your wireless carrier to move your service from your phone to a phone they have.
• Port-out fraud: posing as you, they open an account with another carrier and have your number transferred (“ported out”) to it.

Either way, your calls and texts go to them, including one-time login codes. They then send “forgot password” and account recovery requests to your email and other accounts tied to your number (FBI). In 2025, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 971 SIM swap complaints, with reported losses of about $17.4 million (IC3, 2025).

How did someone port my number or swap my SIM?

Scammers collect details like your address, birth date and the last four digits of your Social Security number from social media, or buy them from hackers. With the right mix, they may convince your carrier that the request comes from you (FCC). Some criminals instead bribe carrier employees or use phishing to get into carrier systems (FBI).

A port starts at the new company (FCC). T-Mobile, for example, says the new carrier must validate the request using your port-out PIN (T-Mobile). Between wireless carriers, a transfer can take just a few hours (FCC), so speed matters.

Get your accounts back

After your number is back:

• Move off text-message codes. Hackers who take over your number get your texts, including verification codes. An authenticator app is safer because its codes aren’t exposed to a SIM swap, and security keys are the strongest option. If texts are all an account offers, they’re still better than nothing (FTC).
• Look for new phone accounts in your name. A scammer with your number could open new cellular accounts or buy phones using your information (FTC). IdentityTheft.gov suggests getting your NCTUE Data Report, a record of phone, pay TV and utility accounts, and checking it for accounts you don’t recognize (IdentityTheft.gov).
• Protect your credit. The FCC suggests placing a fraud alert on your credit reports and getting copies of them (FCC). You can also freeze your credit.
• Did they get your Social Security, bank or card numbers? Follow the steps at IdentityTheft.gov (FTC). More: what a scammer can do with your personal information.

SIM swap protection: lock your SIM and your number

The FCC suggests asking your carrier to add a PIN or password to your account. It also advises keeping details that verify your identity, like your birth date or the last four digits of your Social Security number, off social media, and turning on email and text alerts for your bank and other important accounts (FCC). CISA advises people at high risk of being targeted to add both a PIN and two-factor authentication to their mobile carrier account (CISA).

AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile also offer free locks:

Carrier	Blocks SIM changes	Blocks number transfers	If it already happened
AT&T	Wireless Account Lock, free in the AT&T app, blocks “SIM and eSIM swaps and changes” (AT&T)	The same lock blocks transfers to another carrier	Call AT&T’s fraud team at 877.844.5584 for wireless (AT&T)
Verizon	SIM Protection, at no cost, in the My Verizon app or website (Verizon)	Number Lock, at no cost (Verizon). It doesn’t stop SIM changes, so turn on both (Verizon)	Dial *611, which Verizon says works even if your device was deactivated, or 1-800-922-0204 from any phone (Verizon)
T-Mobile	SIM Protection, free for postpaid customers (T-Mobile)	Port Out Protection, free; add it to each line (T-Mobile)	Contact T-Mobile as soon as possible (T-Mobile)

AT&T emails the account holder and texts every line whenever its lock is turned on or off (AT&T), and Verizon texts you when SIM Protection is turned off (Verizon). If you get a message like that and didn’t make the change, call your carrier.

What the FCC’s SIM swap rules require

On November 15, 2023, the FCC adopted rules that require wireless carriers to:

• use secure methods to confirm it’s you before moving your number to a new device or carrier (FCC);
• immediately notify you whenever a SIM change or port-out request is made on your account (FCC);
• let you lock your account to block SIM changes and number transfers (FCC);
• keep a clear process for reporting fraud, and promptly investigate and fix it (FCC);
• promptly give you documentation of fraud involving your account (FCC).

They aren’t in force yet. On July 5, 2024, the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau said carriers won’t have to comply until a federal paperwork review is complete and the FCC announces a compliance date in the Federal Register (FCC). That review ended with approval in January 2025 (OMB, OMB). But as of October 2026, the rules still say compliance “will not be required until this paragraph is removed or contains a compliance date” (eCFR, eCFR). The FCC’s August 2026 regulatory agenda lists its next action as “To Be Determined” (Federal Register). Until then, alerts and locks depend on your carrier.

Can I get my money back?

It depends on how the money left:

• Bank withdrawals or debit card charges. Tell your bank or credit union right away. It generally has 10 business days to investigate, and electronic transfers may have extra federal protections. Report an unauthorized withdrawal within 60 days after the bank sends the statement showing it, or you could have to pay for transactions made after that (CFPB).
• Cryptocurrency. Crypto transactions can’t be reversed. Still report it to IC3 with the wallet addresses, amounts, transaction hashes, and dates and times (FBI IC3).

How to report a SIM swap or port-out

• Your carrier and your bank, first (see above).
• The police: file a report (FCC).
• The FCC: file a free complaint (FCC). If your number was moved to another company, choose “number porting” as the issue (FCC). IdentityTheft.gov also points you to the FCC if your phone company doesn’t resolve the problem (IdentityTheft.gov).
• The FBI: report the activity at IC3.gov (FBI), especially if money or crypto was stolen.
• The FTC: if someone used your personal information, report it at IdentityTheft.gov to get a recovery plan. If a scam call or text started it, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (FTC).

The report-a-scam tool lists more official channels, and the scam recovery checklist helps you track each step.

Watch for the follow-up scam

• “Carrier” or “bank” calls asking for your PIN or a code. The FBI says not to give your phone account password or PIN to callers who ask for it; call your carrier’s customer service line yourself (FBI). Verizon says it will never contact you to ask for a password, PIN, Social Security number or payment information (Verizon). Anyone who asks for your verification code is a scammer, the FTC says (FTC).
• Paid “recovery” help. Government agencies and legitimate organizations will never ask for money to help you get a refund (FTC). The FBI warns about crypto recovery services, especially those charging an up-front fee (FBI IC3).
• Fake FTC calls. The real FTC will never say you must transfer your money to “protect it” (IdentityTheft.gov).

Not sure a call is real? See is this call really from my bank?

What varies

• Your carrier and plan. Lock names and eligibility differ. T-Mobile offers SIM Protection to postpaid customers (T-Mobile), and AT&T’s lock works through its app on a device that’s active on your account (AT&T). Ask other carriers what they offer.
• Federal rules. The FCC’s requirements have no compliance date yet (eCFR).
• eSIM phones. An eSIM can’t be removed, which cuts some risk of physical SIM theft, but port-out scams remain a concern (FCC).
• Getting money back depends on the type of account, how fast you report and your bank’s investigation (CFPB).