Checklist
How to respond to a SIM swap
What to do, in order, if your phone suddenly loses service and you suspect someone has moved your number: recover the number, lock down email, then banks, then everything that used SMS.
How to respond to a SIM swap What to do, in order, if your phone suddenly loses service and you suspect someone has moved your number: recover the number, lock down email, then banks, then everything that used SMS. Source: https://glide-cleartext.pages.dev/checklists/respond-to-a-sim-swap/ (Cleartext, verified 2026-09-24)
Before you start #
- Another phone or computer you trust
- Your carrier’s customer-service number and account PIN, if you set one
Steps #
0 of 7 steps done
01 Contact your carrier from another phone
Say you suspect a SIM swap or port-out, ask them to restore the number to your SIM, and ask what changes were made to your account and when.
02 Turn on the carrier’s account lock or port-out PIN
US carriers must offer account locks that block number changes under the FCC’s 2023 rules. Ask for it while you are on the call.[1]
03 Secure your email account
Change the password, sign out all other sessions and remove recovery phone numbers or forwarding rules you didn’t add. Password resets for everything else land here.
04 Call your bank using the number on your card
Report the SIM swap, ask them to review recent logins, payees and transfers, and ask whether they can add a hold on changes to your contact details.
05 Change passwords on accounts that use SMS codes
Start with financial, crypto and email accounts, then social media. Check each for recovery details the attacker may have changed.
06 Move those accounts off SMS
Switch to a passkey or an authenticator app where offered, so the phone number stops being the key to the account.
07 Report it
In the US, report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov, which produces a recovery plan and a report you can give to banks.[2]
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Done when #
Your number is back on your SIM with an account lock on, your email is secured, your bank has been told, and your important accounts no longer rely on SMS codes.
Evidence #
Related questions #
How do I know if I’ve been SIM swapped?
The clearest sign is that your phone suddenly loses service where coverage is normally fine, and calls and texts stop arriving. Other signs are a carrier notice about a SIM change or number transfer you didn’t request, and password-reset or new-login alerts from accounts you didn’t touch. Contact your carrier from another phone immediately.
Full answerWhat is a SIM swap attack?
A SIM swap is when a criminal gets a mobile carrier to move a victim’s phone number to a SIM or eSIM they control, by impersonating the customer, bribing an insider or taking over the carrier account. The attacker then receives the victim’s calls and texts, including one-time passcodes and password-reset codes.
Full answerWhat does the FCC SIM swap rule require?
The FCC’s 2023 order, FCC 23-95, requires US wireless carriers to authenticate customers securely before moving their number to a new SIM or carrier, to notify customers of SIM-change and port-out requests, to offer account locks, and to train staff and keep records. It regulates carriers, not how banks or apps use SMS codes.
Full answerCite this checklist #
Answers change. Include the verification date when you quote this page.
Plain text
Cleartext. “How to respond to a SIM swap” Last verified 2026-09-24 (rev. 1). https://glide-cleartext.pages.dev/checklists/respond-to-a-sim-swap/
Markdown link
[How to respond to a SIM swap](https://glide-cleartext.pages.dev/checklists/respond-to-a-sim-swap/) (Cleartext, verified 2026-09-24)
Changelog #
| Date | Revision | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Rev. 1 | First published. |