One of the reasons for concern on the part of smartphone users is the constant care of not having their cell phone line hacked by cybercriminals. The act not only brings immediate material damage to the owner of the device, but also leaves loopholes for future risks.
What are the dangers of this act? And what to do if you have been a victim of this type of cyber crime? Detective TudoCelular breaks it down for you in this column.
What are the dangers?
Currently, the smartphone has many more functions for the user than just communicating with his contacts. They have photos and videos of the person, stored personal data and access to bank accounts. But having access to the numbers of individuals is also something cybercriminals are looking for.
Thus, malicious people are increasingly targeting this type of device as they can profit from the information. According to NordVPN’s digital privacy expert Daniel Markuson, cell phone numbers can be considered “gold mines” for scammers.
“Cell phone numbers, for example, are gold mines for scammers and cybercriminals who use exposed information to commit fraud and other offenses once morest unsuspecting consumers. If you don’t have your personal information well protected, chances are your phone number will end up in the hands of malicious individuals.”
Daniel Markuson
NordVPN Digital Privacy Expert
In practice, in possession of your phone number, the criminal is able to access various sensitive information, reset passwords for important services and even search for other additional identification data on the internet.
Another danger occurs in the exploitation of your data – it is worth remembering that not always who obtains your information is the same one who uses it – to impersonate you. The scammer can contact the operator, pretend to be the victim, intercept communications and gain access to the operator’s financial details.
Or even use your phone to send text messages or make trap calls to other potential victims – the so-called phishing –, in a more targeted way – the technique known as “social engineering”.
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Statistics show how criminal practice is capable of affecting people en masse. According to research published by NordVPN in 2023, the data of 351,000 Brazilians is currently for sale on illegal markets.
Furthermore, the same study indicates that at least 5 million people had their data stolen and sold in so-called bot markets. And Brazil is among the countries most affected by the attack.
LGPD
In force in Brazil, the General Data Protection Law (LGPD) has not yet been shown to be sufficient to stop the occurrence of so many cybercrimes in the country – one example is the leak of data from users of the Meu Correios app recently.
Although not always enforced, the legislation enacted in 2018 establishes a series of punishments for non-compliance with the rules. Among them, fines that can reach R$ 50 million.
It is worth noting that there is the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD), which is responsible for overseeing whether the LGPD has been applied and, in the event of a violation, applying the penalties.
I was hacked, what do I do?
If your cell phone number has been hacked, the first step is to contact your mobile operator to inform them regarding the crime and that someone else has illegal access to the accounts.
Next, try to enable two-factor authentication on accounts that use the compromised line. Preferably, use an authenticator app or another secure phone. If you already have the function enabled on the hacked phone, change the number in the settings.
The next step is to notify your friends, family and other contacts regarding what happened, to prevent them from falling for scams made in the victim’s name. Also check your bank accounts to verify that there has not been any unauthorized access.
To complete, it is worth registering a Police Report at the nearest police station – or through the electronic police station –, in case there was fraud or ideological falsehood in the criminal act. With the BO in hand, it will be easier to demand measures from companies that have fallen into the cybercriminal trap.
Have you ever been through a situation like this? What steps were taken? Tell us in the space below.
