How caiguragainst remote SIM Swapping Abdrolid phone?

[Simon P]

I have reason to believe my Android phone has attracted the attention of the hacker who has already got into my PC.

I have heard about remote SIM-swapping where I understand an attacker can redirect your messages to another phone.

How is this possible and what can I do to guard against it?

 

[demonix]

The only way that any hacker can gain access to your phone is if they convince your provider to send a replacement SIM to them thus rendering the SIM card you have non functional.

If you've received a "I've gained access to your computer through installing malware and have pictures of you doing unmentionable stuff which I'll send to your contacts if you don't send me money" then you can just ignore them as all if these are from chancers who have brought lists of email address and passwords from the dark web and are sending out messages seeing if someone will bite and actually send them money.

 

[Simon P]

Thanks Demonix.

I saw this on another forum:

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/how-hack-proof-is-a-mobile-phone.441156/

where it says inter alia:

"Usually mobile phone is hacked by tricking user to download, install and gave permissions. Other way is to just trick to download, install malware on non-updated smartphone OS then malware app escalates its privileges itself via unpatched well-known vulnerabilities.
Lastly there are phishing-ish malware that do not hack smartphones. Tricking user to download and install that app is enough if user then types in passwords, 2FA codes and personal information..."

Am I mixing this up with SIM-swapping?

Or is this another type of hacking altogether?

If so and assuming someone gets careless and mistakenly taps on a link to malware, is an app like Malwarebytes adequate to remove it?

 

[SexyGreyFox]

If you've received a "I've gained access to your computer through installing malware and have pictures of you doing unmentionable stuff which I'll send to your contacts if you don't send me money" then you can just ignore them as all if these are from chancers who have brought lists of email address and passwords from the dark web and are sending out messages seeing if someone will bite and actually send them money.

I had one of these last week saying they had filmed me through my computer doing naughty things to myself, now that's pretty good technology since I don't have a webcam or anything similar.
They might be able to catch me saying "Ooh ooh err err oh yes" but that would be me getting up out of my chair.