Just one SIM card for one person! Will this break the network of terrorists and stop black money?

New Delhi: There are small shops in some villages situated on the border of Odisha and Chhattisgarh, where SIM card related frauds are carried out. SIM card swapping, many SIM cards are issued in the name of one person and sold in bulk to terrorist or extremist organizations. Along with this, online frauds are also being done with people in other parts of the country by becoming customer care callers. In these shops, students who have studied or failed in 8th-10th remain glued to the phone all day and keep cheating people. Cyber ​​forensic and cyber law expert Sonali Guha told that in the remote areas of the country, many SIM cards are issued on the pretext of getting multiple SIM cards on one Aadhaar card, giving thumb impression repeatedly, which are sold secretly. They get good money for this. Recently, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has advocated one SIM card for one person in a case. Let us understand from the experts how effective this method is and how big the danger is.

On an average, 23,000 cyber crimes happen every day

According to a survey by Norton LifeLock, an international organization working on consumer cyber safety, about 62 percent of Indians faced fraud during online shopping during the festive season last year. According to a report by aag-it.com, an organization working on cyber safety, 100 crore emails were exposed worldwide in the last 1 year, in which every fifth person was a victim of fraud. About 1,000 cases of online fraud are being reported every hour. At the same time, according to a survey by Future Crime Research Foundation, an organization associated with IIT Kanpur, an average of 23 thousand cyber crimes are happening every day. The recent Mahadev Betting App scam case is a big example of this.

35 SIM cards were collected to do online scam

The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently urged the Center to step up efforts to monitor and regulate the issuance of multiple prepaid SIM cards to individuals amid rising cases of online fraud. Actually, this order was part of the case ‘Sumit Nandwani vs State of Haryana’ in which the court rejected the bail plea of ​​a person in Haryana last month. he/she had allegedly taken 35 SIM cards to do online scams. he/she was arrested. A single bench of Justice Anoop Chitkara said that more than one SIM card should not be issued to a person.

Online fraud happened due to the message received on WhatsApp

The case dates back to last year when a man said he/she received a message on WhatsApp asking if he/she wanted to earn money by working from home. The sender initially paid him/her some money, which prompted him/her to deposit more money and eventually he/she was duped of more than Rs 8 lakh. Police found that Nandwani worked as a point-of-sale agent who activated and used the SIM numbers used in the scam.

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How many SIM cards can be issued on one ID now

According to the rules of the Ministry of Telecommunications, currently 9 mobile connections can be obtained on one ID. At present, the government has already made it clear that it is not considering limiting the number of SIM cards on a single ID. Sonali Guha says that this proposal is good, but it will still face many problems. India does not have such a system yet, nor is it ready for it yet. There is still no proper mechanism to deal with SIM card fraud here. Portals like Sanchar Sathi have been created, but it is still in its initial stage. In the coming days, the government will have to create a strong mechanism for this, because terrorists or extremists in the country carry out crimes on a large scale by obtaining fake SIM cards or SIM cards are being used for money laundering and sending black money through hawala.

Many SIM cards are made by repeatedly putting thumb impression on one Aadhaar

Cyber ​​forensic and law expert Ayush Guha says that the recommendation of one SIM card per person is a good thing. But, SIM card companies doing international marketing will then start issuing virtual SIM cards or e-SIM cards. Which will be even more difficult to track. Right now, having a physical SIM card makes it easy to track from the tower. Many SIM cards are made by repeatedly getting thumb impressions on one Aadhaar. That is why such networks flourish more in villages or remote areas.

Virtual SIM card is available abroad, monitoring is good

According to Ayush Guha, virtual SIM cards are used more in foreign countries than physical SIM cards. There is no limit on SIM cards there, but records of every SIM are kept. Even who made how many calls from which SIM or when did they activate it or what online work was done with it. In India, it is only in corporate houses, common people do not have access to it. There is no strong mechanism for virtual SIM cards here.

There are different types of crimes committed using SIM cards.

SIM Swap Fraud: According to Sonali Guha, in this, hackers transfer the SIM card in your name to themselves and can control your phone calls and messages. With this, they can access your bank accounts and misuse your personal information.

Phishing: In this, hackers send you fake calls, SMS or emails and ask for personal and sensitive information like bank account details, passwords and OTP. This information can be used in their crimes.

SIM Card Cloning: Using this technique hackers can make a duplicate of your SIM card. With this duplicate SIM card they can make calls and send messages in your name and gain unauthorized access to your account.

Identity Theft: Through the SIM card, hackers can steal your personal identity, such as your name, address and financial details. This gives them the possibility of getting involved in other crimes.

SMS/Call Fraud: In this, hackers send spam calls or messages from unknown numbers to promote fraudulent schemes, such as fake lottery winnings, job offers or investment opportunities. In these schemes, they ask you for money or personal information.

This way you can avoid fraud or crime related to SIM card.
1. Protection from SIM swap fraud:

• Stay in constant touch with your service provider and inform them about any unusual activities on the SIM card.
• If your SIM card suddenly stops working or you are unable to get service on your phone, inform your service provider immediately.

2. Protection from phishing:

• Never answer calls, SMS or emails from unknown sources.
• Never share any kind of personal information like passwords, bank account details, or OTP with strangers.

3. Protection against SIM card cloning:

• If your SIM card has been duplicated, immediately contact your service provider and inform them about it.
• Immediately report a lost or stolen SIM card to the police and service provider.

4. Protection from identity theft:

• Keep your personal information secure and take care not to share it with unauthorized recipients.
• Keep an eye on the security of your bank accounts and other online accounts.

5. Protection against SMS/Call fraud:

• Ignore and do not respond to spam calls and messages from unknown numbers.
• Before joining any fraudulent scheme, check its complete details and evaluate it for its credibility.

By adopting these measures, you can avoid crimes committed through SIM cards. Always be alert and take care of your personal safety.