Your phone goes dead and money disappears — SIM swap fraud
A scammer with your stolen ID copies walks into an Airtel, Jio, Vi, or BSNL store and asks for a duplicate SIM in your number. Your SIM goes dead, theirs activates, all OTPs flow to them, and your bank and UPI accounts get drained within hours.
Also known as: SIM swap scam, duplicate SIM fraud, SIM jacking, SIM card cloning, porting fraud
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
Call 1930 now- 1 Call 1930 — the national cyber-crime helpline — right now. The sooner you report, the better the chance of freezing the money before it moves.
- 2 Call your bank to freeze the account and block the card immediately. Use the number printed on your card, never a number from the message or caller.
- 3 File a report at cybercrime.gov.in and keep every message, screenshot, and transaction ID.
What to do right now
- 1 If your SIM goes dead unexpectedly, call your operator on another phone immediately and ask if a duplicate SIM was issued — block it
- 2 Call your bank's fraud helpline and freeze net banking, UPI, and debit cards before checking balances
- 3 Change passwords for email, bank, UPI apps, and social media from a clean device once SIM is restored
- 4 File an FIR at the nearest cyber cell — banks need it for chargeback claims
- 5 Visit your operator's store with original ID and request a fresh SIM with porting-lock enabled
- 6 Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 (national cyber helpline).
Red flags
- ⚠ Your phone suddenly shows 'No service' or 'SIM not provisioned' for hours with no outage on your operator
- ⚠ Family or friends say they got an SMS from your number that you never sent
- ⚠ You receive a 'porting request' SMS or email you did not initiate
- ⚠ Bank, UPI, or email login suddenly asks for re-verification on a new device
- ⚠ Recent phishing call asked for your KYC documents, address, or a 'verification' selfie
Known variants
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eSIM activation fraud: caller poses as Airtel/Jio/Vi customer care and sends a 'mandatory eSIM upgrade' link via WhatsApp/SMS. Clicking deactivates the SIM and routes the number to a scammer's eSIM in minutes — all OTPs follow. Noida victim lost ₹27 lakh; Ghaziabad ₹18.5 lakh.
Last seen: 5/26/2026
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Reverse eSIM-to-physical-SIM conversion scam: caller posing as bank or telecom official warns your eSIM has a 'security flaw' requiring urgent conversion to a physical SIM. Victims are walked through steps that hand SIM control to fraudsters who drain accounts via diverted OTPs. Cyberabad: interstate gang, 6 arrested June 2026.
Last seen: 6/2/2026
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Zero-click SIM porting (June 2026): fraudsters port a victim's number to a new SIM entirely via telecom network-level processes — no call, no link, no interaction needed from the victim. Bengaluru youth lost ₹7.2L without clicking anything. Karnataka HC held BSNL liable for ₹87.7L in a separate case where inadequate telecom verification enabled the fraud.
Last seen: 6/13/2026
Sources
- I4C — Ministry of Home Affairs Cyber Crime Advisory
- CyberCrime.gov.in
- RBI — Customer awareness on cyber fraud
- TRAI — Mobile Number Portability and SIM Issuance Safeguards
- The420.in — eSIM scam alert: fake telecom agent sends activation link, OTPs hijacked
- The Logical Indian — Rising eSIM Scam Lets Fraudsters Drain Bank Accounts in Minutes
- The420.in — E-SIMs and Mule Accounts Used in Cambodia-Linked Cyber Scam
- The420.in — E-SIM to Physical SIM Scam Uncovered: Interstate Banking Fraud Gang Busted in Cyberabad, Six Arrested
- BusinessToday / The420.in — Bengaluru youth loses ₹7.2 lakh in zero-click SIM swap fraud (June 7, 2026)
- The420.in — Karnataka HC holds BSNL liable for ₹87.70 lakh SIM swap fraud (June 7, 2026)