Northumberland Trading Standards has issued the alert about fraudsters posing as network providers and offering fake 5G upgrades to trick victims into handing over control of their phone numbers. Councillor Gordon Stewart, cabinet member for public safety, said: "Scammers are always looking for new ways to prey on the public and this latest phone sim scam is yet another in a long list of sophisticated scams aimed at accessing your money. "They can turn up on your doorstep, contact you by phone, email or by post – so you need to keep your wits about you." The scam begins with a cold call from someone claiming to be from a network provider, claiming the victim’s SIM card is outdated or broken and needs to be replaced. Victims are then asked to read out a one-time passcode sent to their phone, which is used by the fraudster to carry out an unauthorised SIM swap.