AT&T Worker Sentenced for SIM-Swap Fraud Scheme

• •Kenneth Carter sentenced to 16 months for facilitating SIM-swap fraud.
• •The scheme caused nearly $600,000 in intended losses to victims.
• •Carter's role was critical, using AT&T's systems to execute SIM swaps.

Kenneth Carter, a former AT&T retail worker, was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for his role in a SIM-swap scheme that targeted customers' phone numbers. Operating from a store in Portland, Oregon, between May 2018 and November 2019, Carter collaborated with at least three accomplices to hijack phone numbers, allowing criminals to intercept authentication codes and access victims' bank accounts. The scheme resulted in nearly $600,000 in intended losses, with one victim suffering a direct loss of over $99,000. Carter's access to AT&T's systems was pivotal in executing the swaps, which involved impersonation tactics by co-conspirators. The Justice Department confirmed that three victims incurred significant financial losses due to the attacks, with Carter admitting to additional unauthorized SIM swaps.