[cuban leaf]

The thief called the phone company and tricked them into registering the guy’s phone number to a new SIM card in the thief’s possession.

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Amazing. For me it was all physical. They took the SIM card out of my phone, inserted and programmed the new one to my number (making the old one worthless), and done.

Based on what you said, it is the phone company that was fooled here - and therefore responsible for damages.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I was just guessing and proposed a possible scenario so the OP would understand what a SIM swap is.

I did not mean to imply that I know exactly what happened.