Imagine waking up one morning to find your bank accounts emptied, loans taken out in your name, and your digital life in shambles—all because of a scam you’d never even heard of.
That’s exactly what happened to Lee-Anne McLean, an Australian nurse whose story is a sobering warning for all of us, especially those who rely on their mobile phones for banking, communication, and daily life.
Lee-Anne’s ordeal began when hackers managed to ‘port’ her phone number—essentially transferring her mobile service to a new provider without her knowledge or consent.
Within a single day, the criminals had changed her email and social media passwords, broken into her accounts, and even opened bank loans in her name.
‘They were able to change my email, passwords, they broke into my social media and they opened bank loans all within a matter of 24 hours,’ Lee-Anne said.
Despite having security measures in place on her phone and computer, Lee-Anne was left bewildered. ‘I have security on my phone and my computer, so I’m not sure how they got all my personal information but I would really like to know,’ she said.
Phone porting is a legitimate process that allows you to switch your mobile number from one provider to another. It’s something about a million Australians do every year, often when changing telcos for a better deal. But in the wrong hands, it’s a powerful tool for fraud.
Here’s how the scam works: criminals use stolen personal information—sometimes gathered from data breaches, phishing emails, or even social media—to convince a telco to transfer your number to a new SIM card.
Once they control your number, they can intercept SMS-based two-factor authentication codes, reset your passwords, and gain access to your bank, email, and social media accounts.
As Dave Lacey, managing director of cyber support service IDCARE, explains: ‘The equivalent here is you’ve been in your house and the criminal is burgling right in front of your eyes and that’s what makes this much more traumatising for a lot of individuals.’
For Lee-Anne, the consequences have been devastating. ‘This is an absolute privacy violation,’ she said. ‘My days are basically taken up by trying to prove who I am again, and piece by piece trying to put my life back together.’
The emotional toll of identity theft can be just as severe as the financial loss, with victims often left feeling violated, anxious, and overwhelmed by the process of reclaiming their identity.
The telecommunications Ombudsman is now investigating Lee-Anne’s case, but her experience is far from unique. Phone porting scams are on the rise in Australia, and experts warn that anyone with a mobile phone is potentially at risk.
As these scams become more common, consumer advocates and cyber experts are calling for urgent reforms. Dave Lacey suggests a simple fix: ‘Wait for the person to actually validate that they have requested the port itself.’ In other words, telcos should require positive confirmation, such as a phone call or in-person check, before transferring a number.
With so much of our lives now tied to our mobile phones, it’s clear that stronger safeguards are needed to protect Australians from identity theft and financial fraud.
What are your thoughts on the current safeguards against phone porting fraud? Have you or someone you know experienced similar scams? How do you think authorities and companies should improve security to prevent these incidents? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below.
Also read: SIM swap scams leave victims ‘traumatised’—here’s what you need to know
I find technology bewildering, there should be more safeguards and protections. Businesses are not really incentivised to provide protections.
The maximum compensation for a data breach is just $1000. Businesses routinely share information, there should be more checks in once, where the consumer has to confirm.
I have been now in four or five incidents. In one such case it was a law firm. I did not deal with them. I had an insurance dispute with a superannuation fund. That fund outsourced legal work to a law firm. The law firm was hacked – as it was an Income Insurance claim they got TFN( now locked), Medicare, Health information, date of birth, address, account numbers. I was not aware the super fund had provided all that information. Reforms should make it mandatory for the customer to consent.
It appears too simple. So anyone who knows your phone number they can simply go to another Telco and use your number in another phone….? But wouldn’t they still need your bank Log in details…ie, User ID & Password to access the account & transfer funds BEFORE they get the SMS code to authorise the transfer of funds.
The ease with which these scammers get hold of personal information is terrifying. I get a phishing email several times a week, sometimes several in a day, supposedly from myGov, Centrelink or the ATO. Each time I block the contact and delete the message. It makes no difference.
I need to transfer some money from my bank account to my super fund. I log into my super fund and find a biller code and reference number. It’s a very simple process and I just can’t bring myself to do it! What if it never gets there? What if it disappears altogether? I’ve read stories of people who’ve lost house deposits because the money has been transferred to a scammer masquerading as a law firm or the builder. There’s rarely an option to do these things in person, we have to rely on technology and no one will take any responsibility. It’s terrifying.
A double check is to ring the super fund and ask them for the biller code and reference number personally as a double check and tell them why.
Then do a small $amount transfer to satisfy yourself that it actually gets there.
If that is oka,y then transfer the balance of your amount.
If I were to port my Mobile Phone Number to a different network, I would initiate the Port From My Mobile, IE: using the number that I want to Port, and I do not know why this is not a REQUIREMENT !!!!