SIM Swap and SMS Scams: Protect Your Number While Travelling

A SIM swap is a fraud in which a criminal takes over your phone number by getting it moved to a SIM or eSIM they control, so your calls and texts, including bank verification codes, go to them instead of you. The best protection is to add a PIN or extra verification to your carrier account, move important logins from SMS codes to an authenticator app or passkey, and treat an unexpected “No service” message as something to check, not ignore.

Travel adds a twist. You may switch your Canadian line off for days, you rely on texts for codes, and scam messages about parcels, tolls and bank alerts arrive wherever you are. This guide uses guidance from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, Bell, Rogers and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

What is a SIM swap scam?

Your phone number is tied to a SIM, either a physical card or an eSIM profile. In a SIM swap, a fraudster persuades or tricks a carrier into moving that number to a new SIM or eSIM in their possession. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security’s guide to security considerations for SIMs also calls it SIM jacking, SIM napping or SIM porting.

Once the swap goes through, your own phone loses service on that line and the fraudster’s phone receives your calls and texts. That matters because many services, from banks to email providers, still use a text message to confirm it is really you.

SIM swap vs port-out fraud

The two terms describe slightly different routes to the same result:

• SIM swap: the number stays with your carrier, but is moved to a new SIM or eSIM. The fraudster usually impersonates you to the carrier, or gets into your online account.
• Port-out fraud: the number is transferred to a different carrier, where the fraudster has opened an account.

Canadian carriers have added checks against port-out fraud. Rogers’ page on port fraud and SIM swaps says that when another carrier asks to transfer a Rogers, Fido or chatr number, Rogers texts the customer, who must reply to approve it. If there is no reply within 90 minutes, the transfer is cancelled. Rogers asks customers to keep their phone on so they can receive that text, which is a reason to think twice about switching your Canadian line off for a whole trip.

How do criminals pull off a SIM swap?

The Cyber Centre describes three main methods:

1. Impersonating you to the carrier. The fraudster calls or visits your provider and answers security questions using personal details found online or bought from a data breach.
2. Logging in to your carrier account. With a stolen or reused password, they can request a SIM change themselves. Details you have shared on social media can help them answer security questions.
3. Insider help. In some cases, someone with access inside a carrier approves changes without authorisation.

The same guidance notes that eSIMs may make these attacks easier to carry out. That is not a reason to avoid eSIM; it is a reason to make your carrier account harder to take over.

Why are travellers more exposed to SIM swap and SMS scams?

Travel does not make a fraudulent swap more likely to be approved. What changes is how quickly you would notice, and how many scam messages you might act on in a hurry.

You might not notice your number has gone

At home, losing service is obvious. Abroad, many Canadians deliberately switch their home line off, or leave data roaming off on it to avoid daily fees, and live on Wi-Fi and a travel eSIM. The Cyber Centre points out that Wi-Fi can keep data working and hide a loss of mobile service. If your number were moved while your Canadian line was switched off, you might not find out until you tried to receive a code, or until you landed back in Canada.

SMS codes become harder to receive

If your bank texts a one-time code while your Canadian line is off, the code never arrives, and you end up changing security settings in a hurry from a hotel room. Those are exactly the moments when a convincing fake message or call works best. Our guide to keeping your Canadian number with a dual SIM setup explains how to keep receiving texts abroad without paying for data roaming, but moving important accounts off SMS is the stronger fix.

Smishing follows you abroad

Smishing is phishing by text message. The Competition Bureau’s warning about scams hiding in text messages highlights fake unpaid highway toll notices and fake account security alerts that push you to “verify now”. Fake parcel delivery texts about unpaid fees are another common lure. Away from home, with real bookings, deliveries and card transactions in progress, these messages can look more plausible than usual.

Fake “carrier” or “bank” calls

Some fraudsters call pretending to be your carrier or bank, often claiming there is a problem with your account and asking for a PIN, a password or a code that was just texted to you. Rogers warns customers to be wary of unexpected requests for personal information, even from someone who says they are from customer service, a help desk or corporate security. The Cyber Centre lists phishing messages asking for a PIN or a login link among the warning signs of a SIM swap attempt. A one-time code sent to your phone is for you to type in, never to read out to a caller.

Does a travel eSIM put your number at risk?

A data-only travel eSIM has no phone number. It cannot receive SMS codes and there is no number on it for anyone to port or swap. With ArriGo, plans are data only: no Canadian or local phone number, no SMS and no calls over the mobile network, although internet calling and messaging apps work normally over data.

That means the risk sits with your Canadian line, the number your bank, email and government accounts know. Using a travel eSIM for data does not change how that line can be attacked, but it does change how you use it. Many travellers keep the Canadian line on for texts and use the eSIM for everything else, which is the setup we describe in our dual SIM guide. If you are new to eSIM, our explainer on how an eSIM works covers the basics.

How to protect your phone number before you travel

Most of the protection happens before you leave, at home, on a trusted connection.

1. Add a PIN or extra verification to your carrier account

The Cyber Centre recommends using any extra verification your provider offers, and asking it to turn on port protection or a SIM lock if available. What is on offer varies by carrier, so check with yours:

Carrier	What the carrier’s own pages say	Where to manage it
Bell	An account PIN identifies you when you contact Bell; you can change it in MyBell	Bell: create and manage your PIN
Rogers (and Fido, chatr)	A text asks you to approve any transfer to another carrier; no reply within 90 minutes cancels it	Rogers: port fraud and SIM swaps
Telus	We could not verify a current official page; ask Telus about an account PIN and port protection	Contact Telus directly

Choose a PIN that is not your birthday or anything visible on social media, and use a unique password for your carrier’s online account. The Cyber Centre notes that reused, stolen passwords are one way fraudsters get in.

2. Move important logins from SMS codes to an app or passkey

The single most effective step is to make sure that taking over your phone number is not enough to take over your accounts. The Cyber Centre recommends multi-factor authentication that does not depend on your phone number, such as an authenticator app, a PIN or biometrics.

Method	Tied to your phone number?	Notes for travellers
SMS code	Yes	Fails if your Canadian line is off; exposed if the number is swapped
Authenticator app	No	Works offline, so codes appear with no signal or roaming
Passkey	No	Approved with Face ID, a fingerprint or your device PIN; resists phishing
Hardware security key	No	Strongest option for high-value accounts; carry it separately from your phone

Apple explains in its guide to passkeys that the private key never leaves your device and nothing reusable is sent to the website, so a fake site has nothing to capture. Start with the accounts that could reset everything else: your main email, your Apple or Google account, your bank and your password manager. Not every Canadian bank offers app-based verification for every action yet, so check each one and keep SMS as a backup only where you have to.

Tip: Set up authenticator apps and passkeys at home, then test a sign-in before you leave. Fixing two-step verification from abroad, with your Canadian line off, is much harder.

3. Reduce what fraudsters can learn about you

The Cyber Centre advises keeping security answers such as your birthdate, home address and mother’s maiden name private, and using separate email addresses for financial accounts and social media. Publicly visible personal details make impersonation easier.

What to do if your phone shows “No service” unexpectedly

Most “No service” messages have an innocent cause: a dead zone, a phone update, a line switched off in settings or roaming turned off. Our eSIM troubleshooting guide walks through the routine checks for both lines, including airplane mode, line settings and network selection.

It is worth treating “No service” on your Canadian line as suspicious when:

• other phones on the same carrier nearby have signal and yours does not, and a restart does not fix it;
• it happens together with alerts about a SIM change, a password reset or a new device you did not request;
• you stop receiving verification codes you have just asked for.

At home in Canada: call your carrier from another phone straight away. Bell asks customers to call its Loss Prevention team at 1 800 509-9904 if they suspect their device or SIM is compromised, according to its page on reporting security issues. Rogers’ advice is to contact your wireless provider immediately.

Abroad: if your Canadian line is switched on and should have service, but shows none while your travel eSIM works, do the routine checks first, then contact your carrier. Toll-free numbers do not always work from outside Canada, so before you leave, save your carrier’s international support number or online chat details. With a travel eSIM providing data, you can use the carrier’s website, app or an internet calling app to reach them.

Warning signs of a SIM swap or SMS scam, and what to do

Warning sign	What to do
Your Canadian line suddenly shows “No service” where it normally works	Restart and check settings; if it persists, call your carrier from another phone
Verification codes you requested never arrive	Contact your carrier and check your accounts for changes from a trusted device
Email or text about a SIM change, new device or port request you did not make	Call your carrier using the number on its official website; with Rogers, reply NO to an unexpected transfer text
You are locked out of email, banking or social media	Use each service’s account recovery, then call your bank and carrier
A text about an unpaid toll, parcel fee or “suspicious activity” with a link	Do not tap the link or reply; forward it to 7726, then delete it
A caller claiming to be your carrier or bank asks for a PIN, password or code	Hang up and call back on the number from the official website
Unfamiliar transactions on your bank or card statements	Call your bank’s fraud line and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre

How to report SIM swap fraud and scam texts in Canada

If you think your number has been swapped or ported without your consent, act quickly and in this order. Rogers’ fraud guidance sets out the same sequence.

1. Your carrier. Regain control of your number first. Bell’s Loss Prevention line is 1 800 509-9904; Rogers, Fido and chatr customers should contact their provider directly.
2. Your bank and card issuers. Tell them your number may be compromised, so they can watch for suspicious activity and update how they verify you.
3. Your local police, who investigate fraud.
4. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Its reporting page links to the online reporting system, or you can call 1-888-495-8501 (Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4:45 pm Eastern). The centre asks people to report scams even if they did not lose money.
5. The credit bureaus. Rogers suggests contacting Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada to check your credit reports and add a fraud alert.

For scam texts that did not lead to a loss, forward them to 7726 (SPAM on most keypads). Get Cyber Safe’s guide to reporting spam texts to 7726 explains that this is free in Canada, does not count against your messaging plan, and helps carriers block similar messages for everyone. Forward without tapping any links or replying.

Your next step

Before your next trip, set aside half an hour at home: add or update your carrier account PIN, move your email and banking logins to an authenticator app or passkey, and save your carrier’s fraud and international support contacts. Then decide how you will handle your Canadian line abroad, using our guide to keeping your Canadian number with dual SIM and our comparison of Bell, Rogers and Telus roaming vs an eSIM.

For data, a travel eSIM keeps you off public Wi-Fi without daily roaming fees; our guide to airport and hotel Wi-Fi safety explains why that matters. Check your phone on our compatibility page, install the eSIM before you fly, and browse plans for Europe, the United States or any of our destinations. Our help centre answers common setup questions.