SIM Swap Attack
Attacker takes over your phone number and accesses SMS 2FA — protect with Authenticator app.
SIM swap is an attack where a criminal convinces a mobile operator (social engineering) to transfer your phone number to their SIM card. This gives access to all SMS messages, including 2FA codes.
How it happens:
•Attacker gathers information about victim (OSINT — name, email, address)
•Contacts operator with "I lost my SIM" story
•Gets new SIM with your number
•Resets passwords and 2FA codes on all targeted services
Famous victims: SIM swap is behind Twitter's Bitcoin scam in 2020, theft of hundreds of millions $.
Protection:
•Never use SMS 2FA for crypto exchanges — always Authenticator App (Google Authenticator, Authy)
•Set SIM PIN lock with your operator
•Use hardware key (YubiKey) for maximum protection
•Don't share the phone number linked to crypto accounts