What is port-out fraud?

Port-out fraud is a form of identity theft where criminals trick your wireless provider into transferring (“porting”) your phone number to another carrier without your consent. Once they control your number, they can:

• Intercept text messages and two-factor authentication (2FA) codes.
• Reset passwords and take over online accounts.
• Impersonate you to commit financial theft or other fraud.

It’s similar to SIM swapping, but instead of moving your number to a new SIM card with the same carrier, the fraudster transfers it to a different carrier—sometimes even in another province.