What are phone borrowing scams?

Phone borrowing scams occur when individuals, often posing as strangers in distress, ask to borrow your phone under the guise of making an urgent call or sending an emergency text. Instead, the scammer will use deceptive actions while on your phone to steal private information. Here’s how to recognize these scams and what to do if you fall victim to one.

How a phone borrowing scam works

A phone borrowing scam typically happens in a public place, such as streets, cafés, or transportation hubs, where the scammer appears to be in a predicament, like having a dead battery or a lost phone. The scammer’s goal is to gain temporary control over your phone to commit fraud. Here are the primary methods used in these scams:

Quick money transfers. Once the scammer has access to your phone, they can quickly transfer money using banking apps or payment services.
Personal information theft. While using your phone, scammers may try to access apps and emails containing personal information that can be used for identity theft.
SIM card swap. Scammers may try to remove your SIM card to replace it with theirs, subsequently redirecting your messages and calls and giving them access to secure codes.

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Common signs of a cell phone borrowing scam

Learning how to recognize the signs of a phone borrowing scam can help you prevent the loss of personal information. Be wary if a stranger does one of more of the following:

Asks to use your phone to log into their accounts or apps.
Pressures you into lending them your phone, using urgency or distress to convince you.
Asks to move out of your sight while borrowing your phone.

How to protect yourself against a cell phone borrowing scam

Here are several steps you can take to protect yourself from phone borrowing scams:

Never leave your phone unlocked. Always lock your phone with a strong password, fingerprint, two-factor authentication, or facial recognition.
Be cautious with strangers. It’s okay to refuse a request to borrow your phone. Offer to make the call or send the text for them instead.
Stay informed. Awareness about the latest scamming techniques can help you stay prepared. Consider subscribing to platforms and community alerts that share updates about common scams.

What to do if you think you’ve been scammed

If you suspect that you’ve been a victim of a phone borrowing scam, take immediate action to mitigate any additional loss:

Contact your bank. Inform your bank about the potential security breach and monitor your accounts for any unauthorized transactions.
Change your passwords. Update the passwords to your most personal accounts to prevent any additional illegal access.
Report the incident. Notify the police and consider reporting to online fraud prevention networks that can alert others in your area.

Phone borrowing scams exploit the convenience and accessibility of our personal devices. Staying informed is a great way to protect yourself against scam tactics and the loss of any private information.