The rules for purchasing SIM cards in the country have become stricter. In recent times, cybercrime incidents have been rising rapidly, leading to financial losses and data theft.
To tackle this issue, the government has enforced stricter SIM card regulations.
Fake SIM cards play a significant role in cybercrime cases, prompting the authorities to issue new guidelines for telecom companies.
Government Issues Strict Guidelines for SIM Card Verification
The Telecom Department of the Central Government has directed all telecom companies to implement the Digital Integrated Verification System.
Under this, stricter rules will be followed for customer identification, and SIM cards will only be issued after verification on multiple parameters.
Now, no customer can purchase a SIM card without biometric verification, making it mandatory for telecom companies to authenticate users before issuing SIM cards.
Stricter Verification for Multiple SIM Holders
Before issuing a SIM card, telecom companies must capture the customer’s photo from 10 different angles.
Additionally, they will verify how many SIMs are already registered under the customer’s name and check if they have taken connections using different identities.
Government Cracks Down on Fake SIM Cards
The government is taking strict action against fake SIM cards to curb cyber fraud.
So far, 2.5 crore fake SIM cards have been blocked. Recently, it was reported that 27 lakh SIM cards in Bihar will also be deactivated.
The authorities have ordered the blocking of SIM cards belonging to individuals who have more than nine connections.
A 90-day period has been given to these users to select and confirm which nine numbers they want to keep active. If they fail to do so, the extra SIM cards will be blocked randomly.
