3 Ways to Tell If Your SIM Has Been Cloned

Are you worried that your smartphone's SIM card has been hacked? Here are a few ways to find out if your SIM card is cloned.

Are you worried that someone cloned your SIM card? Do you tend to forget your phone in public spaces or leave it on the table during social meetings?

How can someone clone your SIM card? And what are the signs that your SIM card has been hacked?

How Can Someone Hack Your SIM Card?

A malicious person would need physical access to your SIM card and a card reader that should be connected to a computer. Using duplication software, they’ll copy your SIM data and insert it onto an empty SIM card.

Also, the hacker could use a more advanced, wireless SIM card cloner, so they'll clone the card much faster.

There's another technique known as “SIM swapping”. To swap your SIM card, a hacker needs to access your phone service provider’s database and assign your number to a different SIM card.

Signs That Someone Cloned Your SIM Card

If you suspect that your SIM card has been cloned, here are a few things that you should pay attention to.

1. You are instructed to restart your phone. You might get a text message or even an email telling you to restart your phone. Usually, the hacker tries to impersonate your phone service provider to trick you into following the instructions. While your phone is off, the hacker will try to obtain your SIM card data.

2. You stopped getting calls or text messages. If your phone has gone silent for an unusually long amount of time, it might be a sign that your calls and text messages are now redirected to another SIM card. To test it, ask a friend to call or text you. If your phone rings, there’s nothing to worry about.

3. Your phone shows a different location. If you check your phone location and it appears to be in a different place, it’s a pretty good sign that someone cloned or swapped your SIM card.

Keep Your Data Safe

The best way to protect yourself against card cloning is to keep your eyes on your phone and not lend it to people you don’t know.

Unfortunately, you can’t unclone a SIM card. What you should do is contact your phone service provider to block your number and get a new SIM card. If you suspect that someone is messing with your phone, take the time to check your device for any installed spyware.

Truth is, spyware attacks are more common and more efficient as they allow hackers to get additional relevant information, besides text messages and calls.