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Star Investigation

An Ontario entrepreneur says thieves stole about $785,000 in bitcoin after hacking his phone. Was it his carrier's fault?

SIM swap scams are a growing concern, and they’re raising questions over who should be held accountable when fraudsters take over a cellphone.

4 min to read
Article was updated
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When Edward Letichever realized he had no cell service early one morning, he immediately feared his phone was being hacked.

A bitcoin trader, Letichever used his phone as a gateway to his digital vault, where he held hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrencies. It’s why, he says, he had previously asked his cellphone provider, Fido, for extra security measures that would prevent anyone from accessing his account.

Morgan Bocknek is Toronto-based investigative reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @mobocks.

Morgan Bocknek

Morgan Bocknek is Toronto-based investigative reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @mobocks.

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