What to do if your phone suddenly has no service
It's not your fault. Scammers can trick a phone company into moving your number to their phone. Then they get your texts and codes. The first sign is often No Service, SOS, or Emergency calls only. Call the number on your phone bill now.
Do these steps in order
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Do this now From another phone, call your phone company now
If someone you know or live with may have set this up, removing it or signing them out can alert them. If you’re worried about your safety, talk to a domestic violence advocate before you change anything. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is free and open any time: call 800-799-7233 or chat at thehotline.org. If you can, use a phone or computer they can’t check.
Turn your phone off and on once. Still no service? Use a landline or borrow a phone from someone you trust. Call the number on your phone bill, or go to one of their stores. If others near you with the same company have no service, it may be an outage. Call anyway.
What to say: “My phone suddenly has no service. Did someone move my number or change my SIM? Please get my number back, and add a number lock and an account PIN.”
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Do this now Call your bank and tell them your number may be stolen
Use the number on the back of your card, from another phone. A scammer with your number can get the codes your bank texts you. Ask them to check for transfers or changes you didn't make. Do the same for your credit cards.
What to say: “My phone number may have been stolen. Please check my accounts for transfers or changes I didn't make, and help me protect them.”
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Do this now Change your email password from a device you trust
Use a computer or phone you trust. Pick a new password you don't use anywhere else. Then check that the recovery phone and email are ones you added. If you're locked out, or your email texts a code to your phone, wait until your number is back.
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Watch for password-reset messages and sign-in alerts
A message about a password change or a new sign-in you didn't make can mean someone is trying to get in. Don't use the links in it. Open the app or type the address yourself, and change that password. If someone calls about it, hang up.
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Ask your phone company for a written record
Once your number is back, ask them for a written record of what happened. Your bank or the police may ask to see it. Write down when your service stopped and who you spoke to.
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Go to IdentityTheft.gov if they may have your Social Security number
To move your number, a scammer pretends to be you. They may have other personal details too. If they may have your Social Security, card, or bank account number, get your free recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov.
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Check that your number lock is on, and keep it on
Check in your phone company's app, or call the number on your bill and ask. Only turn it off yourself, right before you switch phones, then turn it back on. Anyone who calls or texts asking you to turn it off is a scammer. Hang up.
Follow up later
- Tomorrow: call back and ask for your case or claim number. Write it down.
- In 30 days: look at your bank and card statements for anything you don’t know.
Keep your place
To keep your place, bookmark this page or copy your private link.
Keep the link private. It shows the steps you’ve ticked. Never send it to anyone who calls, texts, or emails you. Latchstring will never ask for it. Your browser’s history also keeps this address, and may copy it to your Google or Apple account if you sync. On a shared phone or computer, use a private window, or clear your history afterward.
Did any of these happen too?
- I sent money by bank, Zelle, wire, Western Union, or MoneyGram
- I paid with an app like Venmo, Cash App, or PayPal
- I paid with a credit or debit card
- I paid with gift cards
- I sent crypto or used a Bitcoin ATM
- I gave cash, gold, or my cards to someone
- I deposited a check and sent money back
- I shared a code or password
- My email or social media account was hacked
- I let someone into my computer or phone
- Someone is using my name, or I gave out my Social Security number
Then, report it and get free help
- Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (Federal Trade Commission).
- Also report it to the FBI at IC3.gov, even if it started with a phone call or a visit.
- Get a free recovery plan from a real person: call or text 888-400-5530 (Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit).
- Age 60 or older? Call the Justice Department’s National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-372-8311 for free help reporting it. Mon–Fri, 10 am–6 pm Eastern.
- Feeling overwhelmed? Call or text 988, any time.
Watch for a second scam. Anyone who contacts you offering to get your money back for a fee, a code, your bank details, or access to your phone or computer is a scammer, even if they say they’re the FBI, the FTC, a lawyer, or us. Don’t search online for a company’s phone number either. Scammers post fake ones.
This guide was last checked in October 2026. Sources: