Fight against SIM card fraud: Police verification of SIM dealers must, 67000 dealers blacklisted
The Indian government has introduced new regulations to counter mobile phone SIM card fraud. These regulations mandate police verification and biometric data submission for SIM card vendors, particularly those dealing with numerous business connections.
FollowIn a move aimed to combat mobile phone SIM card fraud, the central government has introduced a new regulation for SIM card dealers, mandating police verification and biometric data submission. This rule is applicable to mobile phone SIM vendors across the country and is especially crucial for those dealing with a substantial number of business connections.
Union Telecom Minister Ashwani Vaishnav unveiled two reforms aimed at enhancing the telecom sector's security. The primary objective of these reforms is to safeguard users from cyber fraud.
The responsibility for accurate SIM card sales will now lie with the sellers, who must undergo police and biometric verification. Additionally, a restriction will be imposed on the bulk purchase of SIM cards. Instead, business connections will be offered, and a registration process will be initiated for obtaining such connections. Every individual acquiring a business connection will need to complete their KYC (Know Your Customer) verification.
The limit of obtaining up to nine SIM cards per individual remains unchanged. Digital KYC is on the horizon as a future requirement. To counter the potential misuse of printed Aadhaar cards, the collection of demographic details will become obligatory by scanning the QR code on the printed Aadhaar document.
Additionally, if a mobile number is disconnected, it won't be assigned to a new customer for a period of 90 days. Replacing a SIM card will require a comprehensive KYC procedure, and there will be a 24-hour restriction imposed on both outgoing and incoming SMS services.
In addition to the existing thumb impression and iris-based authentication methods in the Aadhaar E-KYC process, facial biometric authentication is also now permissible.
Minister Vaishnav also shared the accomplishments achieved through the ‘Sanchar Saathi’ portal portal. He revealed:
* Over 52 lakh bogus connections had been terminated
* 67,000 dealers have been blacklisted.
* 300 cases related to cyber fraud have been registered
* About 17,000 mobile handsets and over 66,000 WhatsApp accounts have been blocked
* Three lakh stolen mobile devices have been returned to their rightful owners.
