Because Alex used his phone number for , the thief didn't need to guess his passwords. They simply hit "Forgot Password" on his banking app. The recovery code didn't go to Alex; it went to the thief’s phone. By noon, the damage was a checklist of nightmares:
Drained. The thief had moved his savings into a crypto-wallet in minutes. cell phone identity theft
A "distress" message had been sent to all his contacts, claiming he was stranded abroad and needed money. Two relatives had already sent $500. Because Alex used his phone number for ,
Locked. His primary account recovery email was changed, cutting him off from his own data. cell phone identity theft
It’s called . By stealing his phone number, the thief had hijacked the "master key" to his entire digital identity.