TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Attorney General Ashley Moody announced charges today against two individuals involved in a sophisticated SIM swap fraud scheme that resulted in the theft of nearly $280,000 from a Florida victim’s bank account. Thomas Simmons and Raymond Ortiz are facing criminal charges for their roles in the operation, which targeted an unsuspecting victim while they were in-flight.
According to the investigation by the Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit (CFEU) and law enforcement, Simmons paid Ortiz, an employee at a Florida cellphone store, to execute a SIM card swap on the victim’s phone. This allowed Simmons to gain remote control of the victim’s device, bypassing two-factor authentication on the victim’s banking app and stealing a substantial sum of money.
The fraud was discovered after the victim, who had been on a flight, landed and found their phone inoperable. By then, Simmons had already transferred the funds to cashier checks, which he used for personal expenses. Investigators later discovered that Simmons was already under federal indictment for bank fraud at the time of this incident.
“These defendants used a SIM card swap scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from an unsuspecting victim who was on a flight — and only noticed that the fraud took place after he was back on the ground,” said Attorney General Ashley Moody. “Thanks to the efforts of our Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit and law enforcement partners, the only thing these SIM swap criminals will be trading is their freedom for time behind bars.”
Arrests and Charges
Ortiz was arrested in Tampa, Florida, with the help of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). He is facing charges of grand theft of more than $100,000 and criminal use of personal identification information. Simmons, who was apprehended by U.S. Marshals in California, will be transported back to Florida to face charges of grand theft and money laundering.
This case highlights a growing and dangerous trend of SIM swap scams, which have led to significant financial losses across the country. According to the FBI, Americans lost approximately $12 million to SIM swap scams in 2020, with that number surging to more than $68 million in 2021 — a nearly 500% increase.
How SIM Swap Scams Work
SIM swap scams involve hackers who target victims’ personal information, often by gaining access to email accounts. Once the scammer obtains the victim’s phone number, they contact the victim’s service provider, convincing the carrier to transfer the number to a phone the scammer controls. With access to the victim’s phone, the scammer can bypass two-factor authentication on banking and financial accounts, gaining full control and draining funds.
Attorney General Moody emphasized the growing danger of these types of fraud. “This is a frightening scam involving hackers who steal identities and quickly drain the financial accounts of their victims. SIM swap scams are responsible for more than $80 million in losses nationwide in just the past two years,” she said.
Steps to Protect Yourself from SIM Swap Scams
In response to the rise in SIM swap fraud, Attorney General Moody is urging Floridians to take proactive steps to protect themselves:
- Use multi-factor authentication for all accounts, especially email accounts.
- Download a two-factor authentication app that generates one-time access codes directly to your devices, rather than using authentication systems that rely on your phone number.
- Create a strong PIN to access mobile carrier accounts.
- Consider using a mobile carrier security app to receive alerts about any suspicious activity.
- Be cautious about sharing or posting your cellphone number publicly.
The most common sign that a victim is being targeted by a SIM swap scam is the inability to make or receive calls or text messages. If this happens, victims should immediately find another phone and contact their carrier to secure their account.
Reporting SIM Swap Scams
Attorney General Moody encourages anyone who believes they are a victim of a SIM swap scam to report it to local law enforcement, their mobile carrier, and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.
The CFEU, which is part of the Attorney General’s Office, works closely with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and other law enforcement agencies to prosecute cybercrimes across the state.
For more information on how to protect yourself from SIM swap scams, visit the Attorney General’s website.
