evidence: Phone porting is one of the ways in which scammers and cybercriminals can steal someone's identity, break into their bank accounts and other online profiles – and in some cases make off with thousands of dollars. [...] However, when scammers get control of your number and start receiving all calls and texts sent to it, it means they can access those accounts that use the number for two-factor authentication. [...] However, because that information can be relatively easy for criminals to find – sometimes on social media, or in discarded mail – there are some other steps worth taking to mitigate the impacts of having your number ported.