Updated on 2/12/2024 with differences between phone cloning, SIM cloning and SIM swapping.
Our phones are the key to our digital identity, so it’s no wonder that mobiles have become increasingly attractive targets for cybercriminals, who have at their disposal a fair number of ways to hack a smartphone, some of which require more access and technical savvy than others.
When people talk about phone cloning, they are referring to one of three things: phone cloning, SIM card cloning, or SIM card swapping.
True phone cloning involves copying the device information – the ESN (electronic serial number) and/or MIN (mobile identification number) – to another device. In the past, this information was used to identify a device on cellular networks. However, advances in cellular networks and technology have made true phone cloning extremely unlikely in most countries, including the US.
Today's cellular phones use SIM cards to store your identifying information. To truly clone your cellular identity, someone would have to remove the SIM card and place it in a SIM reader to copy it to a blank SIM. This type of SIM card cloning is rare because someone would have access to your physical device.
The biggest threat, and what you usually hear about, is SIM swapping. This is where hackers either go into a carrier store or call a carrier's customer support and impersonate account holders to get a new SIM. This method, which relies on social engineering tactics to find out personal information that carriers use to authenticate customer accounts, differs from the highly technical method for SIM card cloning, but the end result is the same – to gain control over someone’s phone service.
Once the perpetrator has control of your phone number, they can send messages and make calls that appear to be from that phone number, with the bill footed by the victim. The bigger danger is that text messages and calls intended for the rightful owner of the line can also be intercepted – including two-factor authentication codes that allow snoops to get access to critical accounts like email, social media, and even banking. (The vulnerability of text messages is one reason why experts recommend other methods of two-factor authentication.)
If the worst has happened and a hacker takes control of your phone number, you need to call your cellular provider. They should be able shut down service to the hacker's device and restore your number to your phone.
Also read: How to tell if your email has been spoofed
6 Signs that you may be a victim of SIM swapping or cloning
1. Receiving an unexpected text requesting you to restart your device
This may be the first sign that your SIM card has been compromised – restarting your device gives the attacker a window in which your device is off, and they can load their phone with a clone of your SIM.
2. Calls or texts on your cellphone bill that you don’t recognize
Any outgoing texts and calls made on the cloned SIM will seem to be coming from your phone number – and land on your bill. Even if you don’t have an itemized bill, international calls will show up here, so keep an eye on your monthly payments and double-check when you pay more than usual.
3. You stop receiving calls and texts
If someone else has control of your phone number through SIM swapping, calls and texts will be diverted to their device. Check this by having a friend or your partner call you to see if the call rings and if it comes through to your phone.
4. You see your device in a different location on Find My Phone
Logging into Find My iPhone or Google’s Find My Device can be a way to check on the integrity of your SIM. If your phone is on your desk, but on the map appears to be somewhere else, someone else may be using your cell service. (Chances are, phone hackers would disable this setting, however.)
5. You get a message from your carrier saying your SIM has been updated
If your number has been activated on a new device, your network provider will probably send a text or email confirming your details have been updated to the main account holder – a major red flag if you haven’t done anything. Of course, you won't get that text if your SIM has been swapped (unless you're using iMessage), so this may be the point where you only realize something is up when your phone no longer has service.
6. You’re mysteriously locked out of your accounts
You might find someone has commandeered your email accounts and social media handles. If someone has control over your phone service, they can do things like request a password reset, receive a two-factor authentication code, and then change the password.
Can you prevent SIM cloning and swapping?
You can protect your phone by observing the same cybersecurity practices that keep you safe online:
- Check that carrier texts are coming from legitimate numbers – for example, do they show up in the same message thread as previous carrier texts?
- If you see a lot of spam texts in a short time, it's a red flag that a SIM swap may be in progress. Watch for a text from your carrier and notify them that you are not attempting to move your service to another device or acquire a new SIM card.
- Be skeptical of any texts that request you to do something – are they worded in the way you would expect? What do Google search results have to say about the sender’s number? When in doubt (and you always should be), contact your carrier directly rather than following any links or instructions in a text you received.
All of the major carriers offer some version of SIM swap protection that is supposed to, in theory, make it more difficult for scammers. But there are plenty of stories out there of swaps happening despite this protection in place. The carrier rep may be tricked into thinking the hacker is you or, in the worst cases, may actually be operating in cahoots with the scammers. With T-Mobile, they send a text that you must respond to within ten minutes to NOT swap your SIM to another phone. There have been reports of hackers flooding your phone with spam messages so you don't notice the authentic carrier text. So if you see a sudden flood of text spam, be cautious.
SIM swapping and cloning aren't the only ways your phone can be compromised. If you have concerns about the security of your device, read our story on how to tell if your phone has been hacked.
[Image credit: phone hacking concept via BigStockPhoto]
Natasha Stokes has been a technology writer for more than 10 years covering consumer tech issues, digital privacy and cybersecurity. As the features editor at TOP10VPN, she covered online censorship and surveillance that impact the lives of people around the world. Her work has also appeared on BBC Worldwide, CNN, Time and Travel+Leisure.
just get that spyware removed and put in a security measure to require your fingerprint for any app installation. Yes that includes those off the web as well
From Kammi Kothmann on April 08, 2020 :: 2:58 am
Im pretty sure my phone is cloned. i receive messages sometimes the day after they were sent. Voicemails i get later than they were made. i think i know who is doing it and im fixing to get a protective order put on them.
Reply
From Josh Kirschner on April 08, 2020 :: 11:23 am
Delayed text messages and voicemails are not uncommon, and are usually due to issues on the carrier end. It’s much more likely that that is what’s happening to you versus phone cloning, which is very rare, only can be done with old devices, and wouldn’t necessarily result in delayed messages.
Reply
From Marva Jane Theus on November 13, 2020 :: 4:41 am
My phone screen flashes when I go to certain pictures and certain text conversation…. My account is locked up and disable cause of the wrong passwords… It freezes and quite often pics and files are suddenly no longer in my phone
Reply
From Angelica on November 23, 2020 :: 6:05 am
I’m sorry , I feel you . I am experiencing the same things . I have test and am milk her to gain access to my phone . Smh ! I know it’s my husband ... playing willing games . Uses my SIM card ! Cloned my phone ! Getting ready to validate this with an old time FEDeral friend and I’ll go from there . I’ll let you know the results ...
From Josie Gomez on August 05, 2021 :: 4:12 am
Aside from them changing my recovery number on Facebook making it impossible for me to verify its my account and it’s going to be deleted tomorrow if I can’t access it, I found 2 logins with the same phone. One has the picture of my phone, but the other was a different style phone but listed as an LG ThinQ like mine. Files have been deleted, modified or created. Then all my files, pictures and apps I found in a folder in my laptop. Then files that have sensitive information from clients with their banking, Passports, etc which I had put them all on a removable disk, where all on my laptop. These are 2015 files and my laptop is from 2019. It’s been going on every single day and I don’t know what to do.
From Butwhylil on October 22, 2022 :: 12:42 am
Give been experiencing the same problem for a few years now.my phones says t mobile not responding or my passwords are never working. I took it to metro in Memphis but they just said download an virus app. I fear in in danger and the people that murdered my family is the people around i fear my husband is being controlled by a family off cops that are trieng to set us up so we can’t testify these are the people that hurt us when I was little. Help me please.[personal information redacted]
Please we may be on catilina island or Cj tn
From Chad Vandine on February 13, 2021 :: 11:44 pm
My Aristo 5 was cloned onto an ihpone 11 somehow and was being used with roaming charges in Africa!
Reply
From Dora on June 01, 2021 :: 11:55 am
Im confused. Why would you say only older phones cam be cloned? I had to send my phone in for repair. I was told by the 1st repair guy it was a cloned imei he believed. Is that not true?
Reply
From Josh Kirschner on June 01, 2021 :: 6:47 pm
What we said was only older phones can be “remotely cloned”. It’s possible if someone has physical access to your phone that they may be able to clone the SIM on newer devices. I would be curious to know how the repair guy determined your phone had been closed.
From Kelly on August 05, 2021 :: 7:02 am
What about if you get random messages that your FaceTime is being used on another phone. And that your device has been signed in on another device. How do I stop this!?
Reply
From Josh Kirschner on August 05, 2021 :: 5:56 pm
If you are getting a message saying your FaceTime is being used on another device, that sounds like your Apple ID may be compromised. Did you recently set up an Apple Watch or Mac with your Apple ID? If not, you should immediately change your Apple ID credentials. And always make sure you have two-factor authentication set up for your Apple ID to protect it.
From You know on September 01, 2022 :: 10:43 am
You are giving out no vibes of goodness….only excuses as to why U think it can’t be cloning….you are evil…you do it in large numbers…you are one of the cloning cunts yourself
Reply
From J on October 12, 2024 :: 9:40 pm
They’re exactly right.
From Paula on October 02, 2022 :: 6:56 am
About two months ago my iphone started to do all kinds of things on its own and I kept getting security alertrs from my accts, etc etc… I reached out to anyone I could possibly think that could be a help or lead me to it… Well needless to say I got nowhere, mostly because everything required to go online and I could not do that with my devices, my husbands, I even went to family’s houses, libraries… This all sounded bizarre and I knew it was happening but nobody else did , I guess I can understand.. well here I am two months Into it and now my identity is exposed, I have bought 5 going on 6 cell phones in less than 2 months, and I have 3 smart tvs and they are all not working correctly and have installed software on them and I have no idea what to do or where to turn.. my phone keeps turning on sharing,, like location sharing, photo sharing, web activity share, and all kinds of weird permissions that I never even seen. Can someone please let me know what this is and how to stop it
Reply
From PV on October 04, 2023 :: 4:35 pm
You’re living with a narcissist! Who will make every attempt to destroy your life! Get a restraining order and he’s tracking your device and he’s probably also in your Internet at home. That’s how he reconnect to your phone reset all of your wireless devices at home to brand new while your phone is off use cellular at home only not wireless and change providers on your wireless network, check your phones privacy settings if it’s an android you’re in trouble because of Google play services permissions if it’s an iPhone just take it to APPLE and have them give you a new Sim card and reset it change your ID and your password once you change providers everything changes your IP address. And if your phone is on his account, you’re not ever gonna get away from him.
From Tim Jackson on February 17, 2024 :: 5:43 am
I’m hoping someone can tell me what’s been done to my phone they got me into trouble so my freedom is riding on it. My ex gf got into my phone made herself the editor of my google account a Facebook account thru meta I slowly started getting emails from sites I hadn’t visited pictures would be in a different order phone getting hott poor performance then came the trouble w the law she sent videos and emails to herself but it looked like I done it my son told me he had seen her on my stuff but not my phone I discovered a bunch of files where it looks like they were running test to match my the computer side of it she had my voice recorded saying hello google she was watching me thru the camera listening to calls and just in general tracking everything where I went what I googled all of it im from a small town where the prosecutor don’t know shit so refused my evidence o have a mountain of it I need to know what was done and how they made it look like me oh and her bf owns a web business and 3 of her devices were connected to it including a computer please help me 🙏
Reply
From Gregory Todd on April 03, 2024 :: 1:07 pm
I’m in the same boat I think I know who’s been cloning or hacking my phone and I’m getting tired of getting took,been ripped off by the same ex girlfriend for at least 300 bucks mostly from trying to send cash through cashapp,but I’m not sure the steps I should take to get them convicted or stopped and my phone fixed back the way it was it’s a real pain in the ass got any advice?
Reply