COINDESK EXPLAINS: Sim Card Hacks

In the pantheon of crypto hacks, “SIM jacking” is one of the worst. The hack, which is less a hack and more social engineering, is basically a form of identity theft, with the attacker swapping a victim's sim card remotely, usually with the help of your cell phone carrier, and then breaking into their email, crypto, bank accounts, basically all the stuff you definitely don’t want someone to break into. It's audacious but it’s also preventable with a little awareness. And the consequences can be dire, it’s also netted attackers tens of millions in loot over the past few years.

In this episode of CoinDesk Explains, CoinDesk Editors Adam B. Levine and John Biggs explain the attack, what it could mean for you, how it works, and what you can do to prevent it in a way that even your grandpa could understand.