The good news is that all three major U.S. carriers now let you lock your number with a toggle. Here's how the attacks work and where to find each switch.
The scale is hard to pin down, but the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center logged 982 SIM swap complaints and about $26 million in losses in 2024, down from 2,026 complaints and $72.7 million in 2022. That decline looks encouraging, but the figures only include crimes that victims bothered to report to one federal portal.
Intel 471 also flagged a provider that let the activation code go to email instead of SMS, which gave attackers a second inbox to compromise. That provider has since closed the loophole, but the lesson stands: Every shortcut for locked-out customers is also a shortcut for criminals.
What SIM locks and port-out PINs actually do
I'd treat the PIN as the weakest of the three. PINs aren’t bulletproof because company reps can still override them. A lock that grays out the option entirely is much harder to talk your way around.
AT&T bundles everything into a single toggle called Wireless Account Lock. According to AT&T's support page, it blocks device upgrades, SIM and eSIM swaps, IMEI changes, number changes, transfers to another carrier, and edits to authorized users and billing info. You can still pay your bill, change plans, and unlock a device.
Open the AT&T app on a device that's active on your wireless account, and sign in.
Scroll to Wireless account lock.
Prepaid customers follow a different path: Sign in, choose your number, tap Profile & Settings, then Account Info & Preferences, and select Turn on under Wireless Account Lock. AT&T texts a one-time code to confirm.
How to lock your number on Verizon
Verizon splits the job in two. SIM Protection blocks unauthorized SIM and device changes, while Number Lock blocks your number from being transferred to another carrier. Verizon's own documentation notes that Number Lock alone doesn't prevent SIM card changes, so you want both switched on.
Open the My Verizon app.
Find SIM Protection and toggle it on for each line you want covered.
After you disable SIM Protection, SIM changes and upgrade orders stay blocked for another 15 minutes. And if you ever port out, Number Lock must be off before you can generate a Number Transfer PIN. Two toggles is slightly more homework than AT&T's single switch, but it lets you lock the number while leaving device upgrades open, which is handy if you swap phones often.
To enable SIM Protection on a postpaid account in the T-Life app:
Select Security, then SIM Protection.
Tap Save Changes, then Continue.
On T-Mobile's side, authorized users can add either feature, but only the Primary Account Holder can remove them. The per-line setup is tedious on a big family plan, though it's worth the ten minutes. T-Mobile also recommends setting an account PIN of 6 to 15 digits, which you can only change from the primary holder's phone while on T-Mobile's network with wifi off.
What these locks don't cover
AT&T at least requires its app on a device active on your account, which raises the bar. Still, researchers recommend unique passwords and two-factor authentication on the carrier account too.
The bigger fix is to stop letting your phone number guard anything valuable. Switch your bank, email, and crypto accounts to an authenticator app or a passkey where you can. Think of the carrier lock as a seatbelt: You'll rarely need it, and you'll be glad it was buckled the one time you do.
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