"Los Angeles SIM Swapper Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison"

Amir Hossein Golshan, 25, of Los Angeles, was recently sentenced to 96 months in prison for perpetrating multiple cybercrime schemes, including one involving SIM swapping.  Between April 2019 and February 2023, Golshan caused roughly $740,000 in losses to hundreds of victims as a result of various online scams and unauthorized access to digital accounts.  According to the Department of Justice (DoJ), Golshan took over victims’ social media accounts, impersonated Apple support, and engaged in Zelle payment fraud schemes.  To take control of victims’ social media accounts, he used a technique called SIM swapping, in which he convinced mobile phone carriers to transfer the victims’ numbers to SIM cards in his possession.  The DoJ noted that this allowed Golshan to obtain two-factor authentication codes sent via text messages and access the victims’ accounts.  In addition to taking over the owners’ accounts, Golshan targeted their friends, tricking them into sending him money.  The DoJ noted that in one instance, after taking control over an influencer’s Instagram account, he asked the victim’s friends to send him thousands of dollars via PayPal, Zelle, and other online payment platforms.  He also locked the victim out of the account, demanding $2,000 for returning access to the account.  He also defrauded individuals by advertising fake and non-existent Instagram services, demanding fees of several hundred dollars.  The DoJ stated that through the use of SIM swapping and Zelle schemes, he received approximately $82,000 in payments from roughly 500 victims.  By impersonating Apple support, Golshan accessed victims’ iCloud accounts to steal NFTs, cryptocurrency, and other digital property.  In total, he defrauded five individuals of between $2,000 and $389,000 each.  In addition to the prison sentence, Golshan was ordered to pay over $1.2 million in restitution. 
 

SecurityWeek reports: "Los Angeles SIM Swapper Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison"