Port-Out Scam

While SIM swapping involves convincing a victim's current carrier to move their number to a new SIM on the same network, a port-out scam persuades the existing carrier to release the number to a different carrier entirely. The attacker initiates the port by providing the victim's personal information and account details to the new carrier, who requests the transfer. Both types result in the attacker receiving the victim's calls and SMS messages.

Port-out attacks are often harder for carriers to prevent because the request originates with a competing carrier rather than an internal customer service request. Regulatory frameworks in many countries require carriers to honour porting requests within a short window, limiting the time to flag fraud before completion.

Consumers can request a 'port validation' PIN or passphrase from their carrier and in some jurisdictions can request that their number be flagged for enhanced porting verification. As with SIM swapping, the most durable solution is removing the phone number as the sole recovery and MFA method for high-value accounts.