How a SIM-swap steals your account

Your bank sends OTPs to your phone number. If a criminal can take over that number, they receive your codes — and can get into your bank.

They do this by gathering your personal details (often through phishing), then convincing your network — MTN, Vodacom, Cell C, Telkom — to move your number to a SIM card they control. The first sign is often that your phone suddenly shows "No Service" for no reason, and your calls, SMSes and banking alerts stop arriving.

What to do: if your phone unexpectedly loses signal for a while, don't ignore it. Contact your network and your bank urgently from another phone — there is only a short window to stop a fraudulent swap.