Posted on 06/14/19
| News Source: WBAL TV
ANNAPOLIS, Md. —
Imagine going to use your cellphone and nothing happens. The screen goes dark, but it's not your battery that's the problem.
Annapolis police said at least two people had their cellphone numbers stolen by scammers.
A scammer will steal your information, trick your cellphone company into believing they are you and then get a representative to transfer your number to a new device.
Angie Barnett, with the Better Business Bureau, said scammers are stealing your personal information from your cellphone. It's happening across the United States, including Maryland.
It's called port-out or porting.
A scammer gets your cellphone number, your name and personal information, like your Social Security number. The person then contacts your mobile provider to report your phone stolen. The scammer requests the number be ported with another provider and device.
"If we change from one cellphone provider to another network provider, our number can be changed. That's called porting. That's a good thing. We want that, but what scam artists are doing is taking advantage of that," Barnett said.
Once your number gets ported to a new device, your phone goes dark. The scammer can now access accounts that use two-factor text authentication.
"So, now your scam artist can not only read your text messages and learn about you personally, but they can get this information, and that's how they can drain a bank account," Barnett said.
Barnett said the following tips are helpful for people to protect themselves:
Experts said people should begin to think about cellphones as a computer, meaning getting malware or antivirus protection.
If you suspect you have become a victim of porting, call the police.