Which include payment data, passport data, names, email addresses, passwords, phone numbers, residential addresses and dates of birth of customers of many companies.
For example, in 2020, the passport data of online voting participants was leaked, however, only the passport series and number were disclosed, according to which it is impossible to identify the owner directly. But by comparing the figures with other leaks, it is easy to identify a citizen.
How do I find out that your SIM card has been replaced?
There are several clear signs that you have become a victim of this attack:
Text messages and calls stop working;
You receive emails about account changes;
You have discovered that your social media accounts have been hacked;
The fraudster will debit money from your card.
If you observe all these actions, inform your mobile operator about it.
How can I prevent SIM card substitution?
There is no specific answer to this question, but there are several measures you can take to increase protection:
Install the pincode to your SIM card. In case of loss of the card or theft of the phone, the attacker will have only 3 attempts to pick up the correct pincode, after which the SIM card will be hardware blocked and it will be possible to restore it only from the telecom operator.
Set up the privacy of accounts in social networks. In a major Facebook data leak (a product of Meta, which is recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation) in 2021, credentials were not stolen, and the information collected was extracted from open profiles. Make personal information available only to you or trusted friends.
Use a two-factor authentication app that doesn’t use SMS messages.
Find out from the telecom operator how he can protect you from SIM card substitution. Write a statement that allows you to change the SIM card only in person.