Misuse of SIMs may attract up to 3 years' imprisonment and Rs 50 lakh fine, warns DoT
New Delhi, Sep 21
The Department of Telecommunications on Monday said that it has warned citizens against the misuse of SIM cards and telecom identifiers, stating that violations under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 can attract imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.
The advisory follows the detection of a fraudulent SIM issuance racket in Chhattisgarh, where mobile connections were activated using citizens' identity documents without their knowledge or consent.
According to the DoT, a Point of Sale (PoS) agent in the state was found to have activated 25 SIM cards using identity documents belonging to citizens without their knowledge or consent.
Acting swiftly, the Department, in coordination with telecom service providers, blacklisted the PoS agent, permanently preventing the outlet from issuing mobile connections in the future.
"Recent cybercrime investigations have brought to light some instances in which a Point of Sale (PoS) agent in Chhattisgarh was found to have illegally activated 25 mobile connections (SIMs) using citizens' identification documents without their knowledge or consent," the Ministry of Communications said.
The 25 mobile numbers were subsequently examined through the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP), a system developed by the DoT to detect suspicious telecom activity. Mobile connections identified as potentially fraudulent were subjected to re-verification, and those that failed the verification process were deactivated.
Issuing a public advisory, the DoT reiterated that fraudulent issuance of SIM cards, misuse of telecom identifiers and tampering with International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers are serious offences under the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
The Department stated that such violations can lead to imprisonment of up to three years along with financial penalties that may extend to Rs 50 lakh.
The advisory comes amid growing concerns over the misuse of telecom resources in cybercrime, digital fraud and other unlawful activities.
With mobile connectivity and digital services expanding rapidly across the country, authorities have emphasised the need for strict compliance with telecom regulations to protect citizens and maintain the integrity of communication networks.
— IANS
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