Recent weeks have seen multiple high profile crypto influencers fall victim to SIM swap attacks, resulting in funds stolen from associated crypto wallets.
SIM swap attacks occur when a hacker hijacks a victim’s cell phone number, enabling the hacker to access crypto funds stored in the individual’s wallet.
On May 3rd, cryptocurrency analyst Joseph Young revealed via Twitter that he had fallen victim to a SIM swap attack. Young reported that his Coinbase and Binance accounts had been accessed and approximately $20,000 in Ethereum had been stolen.
Similarly, security researcher Graham).Clusey reported on May 16ththat he had fallen victim to a SIM swap attack. Clusey’s Twitter account was initially locked, with all funds stolen from his Coinbase account.
Crypto influencer Kyle Baird also found himself the victim of a SIM swap attack on May 15th. Baird reported via Twitter that he lost $25,000 in Bitcoin and Ethereum. Moreover, hacker group DDoSecrets has claimed responsibility for the attack, tweeting, “We just got Kyle Baird rekt by a SIM-swap attack.”
Following the recent thefts, these crypto influencers have spoken out in hopes of raising awareness of this common but dangerous form of attack. By learning from the experience of others, digital asset investors can avoid becoming victims of future SIM swap attacks.
