Police warning after £250k sim-swap fraud

Police have warned sim-swap fraud is becoming increasingly common, following a surge in cases last year

Police have warned about the rise of sim-swap phone fraud, after a local businessman allegedly had £250,000 stolen from his accounts.

Cheshire Police said a 45-year-old man had been arrested in New Devonshire Square, Salford, on 5 August, on suspicion of fraud by false representation.

Sim-swap fraud involves hijacking a person's mobile phone number and transferring it to a new sim without their consent.

The National Fraud Database says there has been a huge rise in sim-swap fraud, with almost 3,000 cases documented in 2024, compared to 289 in 2023.

Detectives from Cheshire Police's Economic Crime Unit made the Salford arrest at 06:30 BST on Tuesday, with the arrested man subsequently bailed until November.

Police said the arrest followed an investigation into the "sim-jacking" of a 71-year-old Cheshire businessman which "resulted in the theft of approximately £250,000" from his bank account.

Det Con Hannah Clement said: "This cyber-enabled fraud is becoming increasingly common; it involves hijacking a person's mobile phone number and transferring it to a new sim without their consent.

"Once transferred, fraudsters can then receive texts and calls to that number, including security checks like two-factor authentication, allowing them to take control of the victims bank accounts, [and] allowing them to defraud the victims."