SIM-swap fraud: the legal response

Full transcript

0:12 If you’re watching this because you were the victim of a SIM swap attack, let me start by saying this: you’re not alone—and you’re in the right place.

0:21 SIM swap attacks are accelerating in 2026, and they’ve become one of the fastest-growing forms of cybercrime affecting crypto holders. These attacks are no longer limited to tech experts or young investors. They are impacting senior citizens, professionals, business owners, and everyday people across the country. According to the FBI’s most recent Internet Crime Complaint Center reports, SIM swap and account takeover crimes continue to rise every year, with billions of dollars in losses across cryptocurrency, banking, and investment accounts. These are not rare events anymore. They are happening every day.

1:06 So what exactly is a SIM swap? A SIM swap happens when a criminal tricks your mobile carrier into transferring your phone number to a SIM card they control. Once that happens, your calls, text messages, and security codes go to them—not you.

1:23 From there, attackers reset passwords and gain access to your accounts. This includes your email accounts, 2FA codes, crypto accounts on exchanges and self-custody wallets such as MetaMask, Phantom, or Coinbase Wallet. In many cases, funds are drained and moved permanently within minutes—often before the victim even realizes their phone has stopped working.

1:51 What’s especially alarming in 2026 is how easy these attacks have become.

1:57 Many of today’s SIM swap attackers are shockingly young. In some documented cases, they are 10 or 11 years old.

2:17 They don’t need advanced technical skills. They rely on AI tools, leaked carrier data and insider access. Personal data such names, phone numbers, partial Social Security numbers, PINs—can now be purchased on the dark web.

2:41 This means attackers often know exactly who you are, which carrier you use, and how to pretend to be you before they ever make a call. Every major wireless carrier has suffered serious data breaches or leaks over the years. This reality has fueled an ecosystem where SIM swapping is faster, more targeted, and far more scalable than ever before.

2:55 I’m Max Dilendorf. I’m a SIM swap lawyer and the founder of Dilendorf Law Firm.

2:59 For more than seven years now, my firm handled over 130 cybercrime cases, many involving SIM swap attacks against major carriers like T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T.

3:12 We represent victims nationwide whose cryptocurrency, exchange accounts, or financial assets were stolen due to carrier security failures.

3:22 Our focus is accountability and recovery. We pursue cases through arbitration and litigation, relying on federal telecom law, customer data protection rules, and established regulatory precedents. These cases are not simple. They require understanding carrier systems, security policies and procedures, and how attackers bypassed carrier’s security systems to get to your Sim Card.

3:48 Our team includes former law-enforcement attorneys and former FBI agents who know how these crimes unfold and how carriers defend themselves. If you were SIM swapped and lost crypto—whether from an exchange like Coinbase or a self-custody wallet —time is critical.

4:19 If you’re looking for a SIM swap lawyer for a T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T case, reach out to our team for a confidential consultation. We’ll review what happened and explain your legal options. Thank you for watching. I’ll see you in the next episode.

A transcript of the recording, so it reads as speech rather than as prose. It explains the law in general terms and is not advice on your own situation, which turns on facts this video cannot know.