Telephone fraud: Number portability scam

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What is your most important financial number? Is it your Social Security number? Your bank account number?

Banks, businesses, and payment services often use text messages to verify your identity when you request account updates. Savvy scammers know that by spoofing your mobile phone number, they can assume your identity, intercept security protocols sent to your phone, and gain access to your financial and social media accounts.

The Number Portability Scam: How It Is Done

One way to spoof your phone number is through a number porting scam. Mobile phone numbers can be legally ported from one provider to another when you change phone service. Phone companies have safeguards in place to make this process possible, such as requiring account holders to set up a PIN or password that they must provide when making calls related to their accounts. But scammers with enough personal information can get in the way, spoofing your phone number and, therefore, your identity.

Scammers are looking for a target's personal information, such as name, address, date of birth, PIN or password, and the last four digits of the Social Security number. Scammers may try to obtain this information by calling the target Cell Phone Number Database and posing as a trusted business or institution, then asking a series of questions in order to gather as much data as possible. In some cases, the information may have already been stolen and is available on the dark web.

When scammers initiate a porting request, they contact the victim's phone company to make them believe the request is coming from the authorized account owner. If the scam is successful, the phone number is ported to another mobile device or to a service account set up by the scammer. This typically begins a process where the scammer, upon receiving the victim's private text messages and calls, attempts to reset login credentials on as many of the victim's financial and social media accounts as possible before the victim realizes they've lost service on their device. Once the scammer gains access, they attempt to drain the victim's bank accounts. In another variation, they attempt to sell or extort the victim to regain access to their social media accounts.



How to protect yourself

Be proactive: If you don't already have a PIN or password to verify your identity when you call on your own, contact your phone company and ask them to set one up for you.
Stay alert: Enable email and text notifications for financial and other important accounts. If you receive a notice that changes have been made to your account without your knowledge, immediately contact the company that provides that account to let them know that you did not authorize the change.
Don't answer: If someone calls or texts you and asks for personal information, don't give it out. If the caller claims to be from a familiar business, hang up and call the business using a trusted number, such as the number on your bill, in the phone book, or on the business's website.
Don't share too much information: Protect personal details that can be used to verify your identity, such as the last four digits of your Social Security number, your phone number, your date of birth, the make and model of your car, your pet's name, or your mother's maiden name. And don't share that information on social media.
Act quickly

If you believe you are a victim of a number portability scam, file a complaint with the FCC for free. You can find more information in the FCC Complaint Center's FAQs about the agency's informal complaint process. You can also file complaints about identity theft and consumer fraud with the FTC .