A new scam has now made it possible for multiple people to use a single GSM line with same contacts, Daily Trust learnt.

An investigation by Daily Trust revealed that 419ers now hijack personal GSM phone numbers through their systems and use it whenever and wherever they like without the knowledge of the original owner.

One of the victims of such scam who narrated his ordeal to Daily Trust said the hackers managed to hijack his number and even called some of his contacts. “I couldn’t believe it how it happens that way”.

The victim who pleaded anonymity narrated to Daily Trust that one day, he was trying to re-charge his phone but that access was denied. He said he kept trying but was unsuccessful until the following day when he went to the office and his colleague told him that a lady called him requesting the detail of the original owner of the line.

She told him that the owner lost the line and she wants to trace him and give him the line. He said “my colleague went ahead and gave her my details not knowing that she wanted to use that to dupe the people on my contact list”. He told Daily Trust that he was surprised to hear that his SIM got missing while he was in possession of the same SIM. “I quickly dialled the number with another handset, a lady picked the phone and asked who do I want to speak with and what do i want? I told her I am the owner of the phone, she terminated the call. When we disturbed her with several calls, she switched off the phone and after a while my SIM picked up I continued to use it.

He told Daily Trust that “whenever she is on the SIM with her, I could not use my line until she switches off”.

Another victim said the hackers use the same style to dupe her using her Account Officer’s Number on the SIM. She said but for the fact that her account officer is very smart, the hackers would have collected huge money from her accounts using transfers.