MAITLAND, Fla. – Criminals can hijack the eSIM card in a cell phone, gaining access to everything on the device, including banking information, according to the U.S. Secret Service.
It happened to Beverly Johnson of Maitland.
First, she got a message on her phone saying emergency calls only.
[Watch video below to hear from victim]
She could use the phone otherwise.
When she logged into her account, she noticed her Samsung Galaxy was missing.
Instead, the account showed an Apple iPhone.
Her carrier informed her that she had fallen victim to an eSIM card swap.
“I kind of feel like someone has taken over a portion of my life,” Johnson said.
An embedded subscriber identity module, or eSIM, is a digital SIM card built into a phone instead of a physical one.
It carries a unique identification number for the owner, stores personal data and prevents the device from operating if removed.
SIM swapping occurs when thieves change a cellphone’s SIM card via computer to transfer it to a device in their possession.
“It has been overwhelming,” Johnson said, describing the emotional toll of the incident.
Criminals accessed her device and financial accounts, resulting in unauthorized charges.
They hit her bank account with a $577 charge and another for $1,000.
Additionally, they charged $2,600 in gift cards and made three Western Union transactions of $500 each from her savings account.
“Closing down the accounts. I did that,” Johnson said. “I have been working on this since April 4, and I am spending anywhere from three to five hours almost every day.”
Caroline O’Brien Buster, Special Agent In Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Orlando Field Office, says eSIM swaps happen all the time.
“It’s more common than people think it is,” Buster said. “At the end of the day, it’s about money. It’s your bank accounts, your crypto accounts, your investment accounts — whatever monetary things you have connected to your phone.”
Fred Sanks, a Network Intrusion Forensic Analyst with the Secret Service, emphasized the importance of contacting your cell phone carrier.
“You basically have to talk to your telecommunications provider and ask what other layers of protection I can add to my account to protect my SIM card,” Sanks said.
Different carriers offer varying levels of protection, Sanks said.
Ask about voice print analysis to verify identity, SIM freezes or two-step authentication that goes to an app instead of a text message to your phone.
“The telecommunications providers will offer the service, but it’s up to you to add that extra layer, and I suggest that you do it,” Sanks advised.
In some cases, protections can be added to phones quickly.
I added a SIM freeze through my provider’s app with one click, without needing to call.