The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has reportedly taken strict action against those involved in selling fake SIM cards, in a major crackdown on fraud. The Hyderabad unit of DoT, along with Telangana Police have recently seized two boxes which contain 512 SIM card slots and 130 fake SIM cards altogether. Several authorities suspected that these SIM cards were being used for bank fraud and illegal activities.
500 Fake SIM cards sold from a single POS
As per the reports, a POS (Point of Sale) agent was discovered selling fake SIM cards in the region. The investigation further revealed that the agent had already sold around 500 fake SIM cards from a Vodafone-Idea store.
The fraudulent SIMs were being supplied to unregistered telemarketers, who used them for sending bulk spam messages.
The seized SIM box was being used for illegal bulk SMS operations- one of the common methods used by fraudsters to scam people. The 130 confiscated SIM cards belong to BSNL, India’s state-run telecom provider.
FIR registered, POS agent on the run
Based on the recent discovery by the Telangana Police has been registered against both the customer who purchased the fake SIM and the POS agent who facilitated the sale.
At present, these agents have been absconding, and the police are actively investigating the case. The DoT is further tracing the source of these fraudulent SIM cards.
Government tightens rules: Aadhaar biometric now mandatory
To prevent such frauds, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has instructed the Department of Telecommunications to implement Aadhaar-based biometric authentication for issuing new SIM cards. This new rule further aims at curbing cybercrime and identity fraud.
DoT and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued strict guidelines in August 2024
Furthermore, the DoT and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued strict guidelines in August 2024 to control fake calls and spam messages. Telecom operators have also been directed to implement the DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) system to track and block fraudulent activities.
What is government doing to restrict the cyberfraud?
- New SIM cards will need an Aadhaar biometric authentication
- Strict monitoring of POS agents selling SIM cards
- Tighter regulations to prevent cyber fraud and fake calls
ALSO READ: Chinese AI DeepSeek R1 banned over data theft concerns: All you need to know
ALSO READ: Split ACs get massive price drop on Flipkart, with up to 55 per cent off in off-season sale