Fraudsters are draining bank accounts and hacking email addresses in a new scam involving the theft of mobile phone numbers.
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The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman has warned scammers are stealing Australians' phone numbers by convincing the mobile service provider to switch the number to a new SIM card in the fraudster's possession.
The practice, known as a SIM swap, gives the criminal access to a consumer's mobile number so they can use it to access bank accounts, emails and other online accounts.
Alternatively, fraudsters try to transfer the mobile number to another mobile service.
Scam victims report having thousands of dollars drained from their bank accounts because their bank uses their mobile numbers to send a text for a "two-factor authentication" check.
Other people have reported having their email inbox accessed because their mobile number is used for authentication or password recovery.
The wide use of mobile numbers as an additional security check for consumers' most sensitive accounts, such as banking and email, means taking possession of a mobile number is a powerful instrument for fraud, the Ombudsman said.
Ombudsman Judi Jones said fraudsters were developing new ways to collect personal information, such as accessing social media profiles, posing as telemarketers or sending deceptive emails.
"They use this information to impersonate consumers, deceive mobile service providers and steal consumer's mobile numbers," she said.
The Ombudsman's investigation team noticed a trend of complaints in 2018 about mobile service providers which had a low bar for consumer identity verification.
Some mobile providers only required the consumer's full name, date of birth and mobile number as proof of identity, while some ID checks were conducted solely through online chat.
Ms Jones said the team was working with providers to address the problems and prevent future complaints.
Since then, mobile providers had introduced new security procedures.
If consumers find their service is suddenly disconnected or receive notification about a SIM swap they did not authorise, they may be a victim of mobile number theft.
Consumers should contact their bank or financial services provider immediately to explain their mobile phone number had been taken and check for withdrawals or unusual transactions.
People should also contact their mobile service provider and ask for their phone number back, call IDCARE and if fraud has occurred, contact police.
Publicly available personal information makes people more susceptible to mobile number theft.
People are asked to not respond to emails asking for bank account details, phone numbers and personal details, not respond to callers who ask for access to their computer, not click on links saying they have won a prize, limit disclosure of personal details on social media and lock letterboxes.
