He Thought He Was Secure; His Phone Number Got Stolen Anyway

This report recounts a SIM swap account takeover attempt against a security professional, illustrates how threat actors used social engineering to intercept OTPs and impersonate the victim to the carrier, and highlights broader industry trends of rising unauthorized SIM swaps (including use by groups like Scattered Spider and Shinyhunters). The article emphasizes that OTPs alone are insufficient, recommends multi-layered protections (authenticator apps, carrier account locks, and risk-based checks), and cites rising complaints and financial losses tied to SIM swapping.