Getting hacked once is scary enough. But getting hacked again after changing carriers, replacing cards and trying to recover your accounts can make it feel like the criminals are always one step ahead. That is exactly what happened to Lela in Ohio, who reached out after a frightening string of account takeovers.

“All my accounts have been hacked,” Lela said. “I had my phone number transferred to another carrier, AT&T, and I’m experiencing it again. They have hacked my phone number again.” She said criminals accessed her checking accounts, credit cards and even started charging new cards before she received them.

Then she asked the question anyone in her situation would be asking: “Should I be just getting a new phone number instead of trying to recover the number I’ve had for 20 years?”

The answer is maybe, but changing your number should rarely be the first move. A new number can help in some cases. However, if hackers still control your email, bank login, recovery settings or wireless account, they may keep breaking back in.

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Why your phone number matters so much

Your phone number may feel harmless. After all, it is how friends, family, doctors and businesses reach you. But today, that number is also connected to some of your most important accounts. It may be tied to your bank accounts, credit cards, email accounts, Apple ID, Google account, medical portals, shopping accounts and password resets.

That makes it valuable to criminals. If a scammer takes control of your number, they may receive your calls and text messages. That includes security codes meant only for you. From there, they can reset passwords, break into email, access financial accounts and keep returning even after you think you fixed the problem.

What is a SIM swap or port-out scam?

A SIM swap scam happens when a criminal tricks your mobile carrier into moving your phone number to a SIM card or eSIM they control. A port-out scam happens when they move your number to another carrier.

Once that happens, your phone may suddenly lose service. Meanwhile, the scammer may start receiving your calls and texts. That can give them access to verification codes for email, banking, credit cards and other accounts.

In some cases, victims do not realize what happened until money disappears or accounts get locked.

Should Lela get a new phone number?

Maybe, but not immediately. If Lela gives up her long-time number too fast, she could lose access to accounts that still use that number for recovery. Even worse, if a criminal still controls the old number, they may continue receiving password reset codes for accounts tied to it. Before changing the number, she should secure the number she has and update her most important accounts.

A new number may make sense if the number keeps being targeted despite carrier protections. It may also help if hackers keep using it to reset accounts, the carrier confirms unauthorized SIM swaps or too many accounts tied to that number have already been compromised. A new number may also be worth considering if the old number is widely exposed on the dark web or data broker sites. Still, keeping the number may be safer for now if she needs it to recover critical accounts.

First, lock down the wireless account

Lela should call AT&T directly using the official number on AT&T’s website or on her bill. She should avoid numbers from texts, emails or voicemails. She should ask AT&T to check for SIM swap attempts, port-out requests, unauthorized account changes, new devices, call forwarding, number transfer activity and unknown authorized users.

Then she should ask AT&T to add stronger protections, including a strong account PIN, port-out freeze or number transfer lock, SIM lock if available and extra account verification. She should also remove any unknown authorized users. This makes it much harder for criminals to move her number again.

Secure your email before changing everything else

Your email is often the master key to your digital life. If a hacker controls your email, they can reset passwords for banks, credit cards, shopping accounts and social media. Before changing every password, Lela should make sure her main email account is clean and secure.

She should change her email password from a safe device, sign out of all sessions, check recovery email addresses, review recovery phone numbers and remove unknown forwarding rules. She should also review connected apps and devices and turn on stronger two-factor authentication (2FA). If email remains compromised, a hacker can keep undoing every recovery step.

Stop relying on text message codes

Text message codes are better than having no protection. However, they become risky when criminals target your phone number. For important accounts, use an authenticator app, a security key or passkeys where available.

This matters most for email, banking, credit cards, Apple ID, Google account, social media, password managers, tax accounts and government accounts. This makes your accounts much harder to break into, even if a criminal gets control of your phone number.

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Change passwords from a safe device

If your phone, tablet or computer has malware, changing passwords from that device may hand the new passwords right back to the hacker. Before resetting passwords, make sure the device is safe. Update the operating system. Delete unknown apps. Run strong antivirus protection. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com.

Avoid links in suspicious texts or emails. Then use a password manager to create unique passwords for every important account. Never reuse old passwords after a hack. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at CyberGuy.com.

Protect bank accounts and credit cards next

Since Lela said criminals charged new cards before she received them, she should treat this as possible identity theft or account takeover. She should call each bank and credit card company directly and ask for the fraud department. She should explain that her accounts, phone number or identity may have been compromised.

Ask each bank to cancel compromised cards, issue new card numbers, review recent activity, add verbal passwords or extra verification and remove unknown devices from online banking. She should also turn on transaction alerts and ask whether wire transfers, Zelle or other payment tools need temporary limits. Finally, she should check whether criminals opened any new accounts in her name.

Freeze your credit and file an identity theft report

If criminals have enough information to keep attacking your accounts, a credit freeze can help stop them from opening new credit in your name. Place a credit freeze with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You can also place a fraud alert.

Then file an identity theft report at IdentityTheft.gov. That report can help create an official recovery plan. It can also provide documentation if banks, lenders or credit bureaus need proof.

Check whether your personal information is exposed

If scammers already have your phone number, email, address, date of birth or other personal details, they may use that information to impersonate you.

A data removal service can help reduce the amount of personal information exposed on people-search sites and data broker sites. Data removal will not fix a hacked account by itself. Still, it can reduce the information scammers use to target you again. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting CyberGuy.com.

Warning signs your phone number may still be under attack

Even after you lock things down, keep watching for signs that criminals are still trying to use your number or accounts. These red flags should get your attention fast.

1) Your phone suddenly loses service

If your phone switches to SOS mode, loses service or stops receiving calls and texts, contact your carrier right away. That can be a sign of a SIM swap or port-out attempt.

2) You receive password reset codes you did not request

Random security codes can mean someone is trying to break into one of your accounts. Do not share the code with anyone. Go directly to the account website or app and change your password from a safe device.

3) Your carrier sends account change alerts

Take any wireless account alert seriously. This includes alerts about a new SIM, eSIM, device, PIN change or number transfer request.

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4) Your bank alerts show strange activity

Watch for small test charges, declined transactions, new payees or changes to contact information. Criminals often test an account before making bigger moves.

5) Your email shows unfamiliar logins

Check recent login activity, connected devices, forwarding rules and recovery options. If anything looks unfamiliar, remove it and change your password.

When changing your number may be the right move

If the warning signs keep showing up after you lock things down, then changing your number may be worth considering. Changing the number may help if the current number remains a constant attack path. But before switching, Lela should update her phone number on critical accounts first.

That includes email, bank accounts, credit cards, Apple ID, Google account, Social Security account, IRS account, password manager, medical portals, insurance accounts, investment accounts, utilities and shopping accounts. Then she should remove the old number from account recovery settings wherever possible.

Do not forget account recovery settings

A common mistake after a hack is changing the password but forgetting the recovery options. If the scammer added their email, phone number or device, they may still be able to get back in.

Check every important account for recovery phone numbers, recovery email addresses, trusted devices, backup codes, linked apps, forwarding settings, authorized users and payment methods. Remove anything unfamiliar.

Kurt’s key takeaways

A new phone number can help, but it is no magic fix. If hackers still have access to Lela’s email, bank logins, recovery settings or personal information, they may keep getting back in even with a new number. The smarter order is to lock down the wireless account first. Then secure email, stop using text codes, change passwords from a safe device and protect bank accounts. After that, freeze credit, file an identity theft report and remove exposed personal information from the web. Only then should you decide whether changing your number is necessary. Your phone number may feel personal, especially if you have had it for 20 years. But once criminals use it as a doorway into your life, the real goal is cutting off every way they can use it against you.

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Have you ever had your phone number, email or bank account hacked? What was the first sign that something was wrong? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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Nothing’s next budget phone is the latest victim of RAMageddon. As 9to5Google reports, Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis announced in a post on X that a follow-up to the CMF Phone 2 Pro won’t be coming this year:

We were working on a successor but with memory prices where they are right now, we can’t build a phone that feels like a genuine step forward at a price that makes sense for CMF. As a result, we’ve decided not to launch a new CMF phone this year.

Last week, Nothing CEO and co-founder Carl Pei also said the RAM shortage has impacted the cost of the company’s mid-range phone, stating, “For Phone 4A, memory costs doubled between when we decided to build the device and when it launched. They’ve doubled again since.” According to Pei, “memory is now the most expensive component in a smartphone.” Nothing is far from the only company facing RAM pricing challenges — earlier this week, Tim Cook announced Apple will be raising prices, saying “the situation has become unsustainable.”

While there won’t be a new CMF phone this year, Evangelidis added in his post that CMF still has “several new products launching as well as some entirely new categories.” He also hinted that “the smartphone launch season at Nothing isn’t over yet.”

A coin-sized brain chip in China could help people with paralysis control devices using their thoughts. China has approved a brain-computer interface called NEO for commercial medical use in certain patients with paralysis caused by spinal cord injuries. That moves brain-chip technology out of research trials and closer to real-world medical care.

Developed by researchers at Tsinghua University and Shanghai-based Neuracle Technology, NEO sits under the skull but rests on the brain’s protective outer layer rather than piercing deep into brain tissue. That design could make it less invasive than some competing implants.

For patients who have lost movement, this kind of technology could be life-changing. It could help restore a level of independence that once felt out of reach. But here’s where we need to slow down a bit. If a brain chip can turn your brain signals into digital commands, we need to ask who controls that data and how well it is protected.

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BRAIN IMPLANT ENABLES ALS PATIENT TO COMMUNICATE USING AI

What is China’s NEO brain chip?

NEO is a brain-computer interface, often called a BCI. These systems read brain activity and translate it into commands for an external device. In this case, the implant uses sensors placed near the brain’s motor-control area. Those signals can help a patient operate equipment such as a robotic glove or computer interface.

What makes NEO especially notable is its placement. Brain-computer interfaces can be designed in different ways, and some go deeper into the brain than others. The company most people know in this space is Neuralink, the brain-chip startup co-founded by Elon Musk. Its implant uses tiny threads that enter the brain’s cortex. NEO takes a less invasive approach by placing electrodes on the dura mater, which is the protective membrane around the brain.

That design matters because every brain implant carries medical risk. Surgery can cause bleeding, swelling, infection or tissue damage. Even a small complication in the wrong part of the brain can affect speech or movement.

China’s approval does not mean brain chips are suddenly available for anyone who wants one. This remains a medical device for a narrow group of patients. Right now, the focus centers on helping people with severe paralysis regain some digital or assisted movement control.

Why China’s brain chip breakthrough matters

The medical upside here is hard to deny. More than three billion people worldwide live with neurological conditions, according to the World Health Organization. That includes people dealing with stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries and other serious conditions.

For someone who has spent years unable to move freely or communicate easily, even a small amount of restored control could feel enormous. That is why brain-computer interfaces are getting so much attention. They could give some patients a new way to interact with the world around them.

Neuralink has already shown what that can look like in real life. Audrey Crews, a Neuralink trial participant who has been paralyzed for years, publicly shared that she wrote her name using the implant by controlling her computer.

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How China’s brain chip compares with Neuralink

Elon Musk’s Neuralink has attracted most of the public attention in the U.S. brain-chip race. Musk has talked openly about restoring movement, helping people communicate and one day addressing vision loss.

Neuralink received approval to begin human trials, and more than 20 people have reportedly received its implant through testing. However, it has not received broad FDA approval for general commercial use.

China’s NEO approval puts a different kind of pressure on the field. It shows that China wants to move brain-computer interface technology into its health system and build a major industry around it.

This also fits a larger pattern. China has made BCI development part of its strategic technology push. The country wants breakthroughs by 2027 and a globally competitive brain-computer interface industry by 2030.

Why brain chip privacy is such a big concern

We already worry about phones listening, apps tracking location and smart TVs collecting viewing habits. Brain-computer interfaces take that concern to another level.

A BCI collects signals from the nervous system. Today, that may mean decoding movement intent, such as whether a patient wants to move a cursor left or right. But as the technology improves, the data could become more sensitive.

That raises some big questions. Who owns the brain data? Can it be sold, shared or used to train AI systems? Could an insurer, employer or government ever demand access? What happens if a company changes its privacy policy after the implant becomes part of someone’s daily life?

Those questions sound dramatic until you remember how many connected devices began as conveniences and turned into data pipelines.

A brain chip designed for medical help should not become another ad platform, another surveillance tool or another database waiting to be breached.

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Could hackers target brain-computer interfaces?

This is where the whole brain-chip conversation gets very serious. Any device that connects to a computer raises security questions. A brain-computer interface raises even bigger ones because it deals with signals from your body and, in some cases, the devices that help you move or communicate.

The concern here is someone getting access to neural data, device settings or the commands moving between the implant and outside equipment. Think about that for a second. If a brain chip helps someone control a robotic hand, a wheelchair or a communication device, a security failure could affect far more than privacy. It could affect that person’s independence and safety. That to me is scary.

Companies building these devices need to treat cybersecurity like part of the surgery, not some software update they figure out later. Encryption, strict access controls, medical-grade testing and clear update policies should be baked in from day one.

And because a brain implant may stay inside a person’s body for years, long-term support has to be part of the deal. No one should end up with an outdated implant in their head because a company moved on to the next big product launch.

What China’s brain chip means to you

For now, this technology is geared toward patients with serious medical needs. So, no, most of us are not lining up for a brain chip anytime soon. But this should still get your attention.

We already give up a lot of personal data through our phones, watches, cars and smart home devices. A brain implant takes that to a whole different level because the data comes from inside the body. That is about as personal as it gets.

Before this technology moves beyond hospitals and medical trials, patients need plain answers before they agree to anything. They should know who can access the data, how long it gets stored, whether it can be shared and whether it can help train AI systems.

The medical potential here is incredible. Helping someone regain control or communicate again could change a life. But the privacy protections need to be just as strong as the technology itself.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

China’s NEO brain chip could be a huge step forward for people living with paralysis. If this technology helps someone regain control or communicate again, that is powerful. But I also think we need to be very careful here. Once a device connects your brain signals to outside technology, the privacy stakes change fast. We are talking about data tied to your nervous system. That to me is the line we need to watch closely. Brain chips could do incredible good. But companies and governments need clear limits before this technology moves any further into everyday life. The promise is real. So are the risks. And when the data comes from inside your own head, “trust us” will never be enough.

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Would you ever consider a brain implant if it could restore movement or communication, or does the privacy risk feel too personal to accept? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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