SIM swap vs number recycling: what fraud teams should know
Deepak Raj
VP Tech
Summarize this article with
SIM swaps and number recycling both break phone-number-based trust, but they look different operationally. Treating them the same can either miss fraud or block real users.
SIM swap: rapid, high-risk change
Often correlated with takeover attempts. Treat as high risk when combined with a new device or sensitive actions.
Number recycling: slow, systemic risk
A recycled number can “inherit” trust. Device history helps prevent account recovery and OTP issues.
Related: SIM Binding.
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