Two arrested as police hunt for ‘SIM swap’ fraudsters

KENT Police is warning the public about the dangers of “SIM swapping” after two people were arrested in Folkestone on suspicion of being part of a nationwide scam.

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The suspects allegedly used the sophisticated fraud technique to hijack mobile phone numbers, infiltrating victims’ financial and personal accounts.

SIM swapping is a scam which allows criminals to steal a person's mobile phone number.

By gathering personal information through methods like phishing emails, data breaches, or even purchasing data illegally, a fraudster impersonates the victim and contacts their mobile provider.

The fraudster pretends to have lost their phone and asks the provider to switch the victim’s phone number to a new SIM card which the fraudster controls.