Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a bid to curb the growing menace of cyber fraud, the Cyber Crime Branch is set to tighten its grip on SIM card sellers and Point of Sale (PoS) agents who allegedly help fraudsters by supplying activated SIM cards obtained through fraudulent means.
According to cyber officials, police will conduct verification and background checks of SIM-selling agents, many of whom operate from temporary stalls in rural areas and makeshift kiosks in city marketplaces and commercial hubs. These agents usually work on a commission basis for telecom service providers and often do not have permanent business establishments.
Investigators have found that some agents misuse the SIM activation process by collecting customers' Aadhaar details, photographs and biometric authentication more than once. Customers are allegedly told that the authentication process failed and must be repeated. Using the duplicated biometric data and photographs, agents are able to obtain multiple SIM cards in the name of a single unsuspecting customer.
Officials said such SIM cards are later sold in bulk to cyber criminals through Telegram channels and intermediaries. These agents then supply the activated numbers to fraudsters operating from different parts of India and abroad, who use them to execute online scams, financial fraud and phishing attacks.
ACP Cyber Crime Sujeet Tiwari said police are closely monitoring PoS agents involved in SIM card sales. Verification drives and investigations are underway, and strict action will be taken if any irregularities or violations are detected. Tiwari advised citizens to remain vigilant while purchasing SIM cards and ensure that their biometric authentication and photographs are not used multiple times during the activation process.
Cyber police officials said investigations in several cases revealed that the individuals in whose names the fraudulent SIM cards had been issued were completely unaware of their existence. Despite being registered in their names, the SIM cards were being used to commit cyber fraud. FIRs have been registered in several such cases, where unsuspecting individuals found themselves linked to criminal activities without their knowledge.
