What are Network Identity & Risk Signals?

Most fraud doesn’t start with a stolen password — it starts with a hijacked phone number. Fraudsters port a victim’s number to their own SIM, activate call forwarding, or use a stolen device. Once they control the phone number, they intercept OTPs and take over accounts.

tyntec’s Network Identity & Risk Signals query the mobile network directly, in real time, to detect these conditions before any authentication is performed. Each signal is a simple, fast API call that returns a boolean result. No user interaction is required.

In plain terms: before you send an OTP or allow a sensitive action, ask the network — “Is this phone number in a safe state right now?”

The three signals

Signal	What it detects
SIM Swap	Detects whether the phone number has been moved to a new SIM card recently. The primary indicator of account takeover via number porting.
Call Forward	Detects whether unconditional call forwarding is currently active on the line. If active, any voice OTP you send will be received by the attacker, not the user.
Device Swap	Detects whether the subscriber’s handset (identified by IMEI) has changed recently. A new device on a known number correlates strongly with SIM swap.

Use them together: SIM Swap alone is a strong signal. SIM Swap + Device Swap together is a near-certain account takeover indicator. Add Call Forward and you have three independent layers of network-level protection.

When each signal matters

Each signal is useful in different scenarios. Understanding which to query when — and what to do with the result — is covered in “When to use which signal” section.

As a quick reference:

Scenario	Recommended signals
Before sending any OTP	Check SIM Swap and Call Forward. Both indicate the OTP will not reach the legitimate user.
At login	Check SIM Swap, Device Swap and Call Forward. A recent change at login time is a high-risk signal.
Before high-value transactions	Check all three signals. Any single positive is grounds for step-up authentication.
During account recovery	Check SIM Swap. A SIM Swap coinciding with a password reset is a classic fraud pattern.
At onboarding / KYC	Check Device Swap. A brand-new device combined with a new account is elevated risk.