SIM Cards bought with Duplicate IDs, Sold without papers

[Honest 836]

SIM cards bought with duplicate IDs, sold without papers

Hindustan Times l Mumbai l 31 March 2012

After a month-long investigation, the police on Friday cracked down on a large-scale racket wherein prepaid SIM cards were being provided to customers without identity proofs or related documents. Hundreds of activated SIM cards have been recovered from the accused.

The crime branch arrested nine people, including a senior official of a prominent telecom company, who would allegedly obtain the SIM cards using photocopies of documents provided to them by genuine applicants, and then sell them at exorbitant rates.

Joint commissioner of police, crime, Himanshu Roy on Friday said that eight of the accused – Ravindra Gajanan Patil, 24, Sunil Batawala, 21, Ravindra Wagmode, 20, Digambar Kole, 34, Ravi Bhuje, 23, Sunny Barati, 27, Ganesh Shinde, 22, Azad Chote Singh, 22 – worked as salesmen for different service providers, while Aslam Islam Sheikh, 33, is the assistant territory manager for the company office at Kurla. The Unit 7 of the crime branch also recovered 379 activated SIM cards, from different network providers, along with more than 550 forged documents. The arrested accused have been charged with cheating and forgery.

Such SIM cards might be used by anti-social elements for criminal activities and may harm the national security, police said.

The group would take multiple photocopies of genuine customers’ application forms (with valid ID proofs such as address proof, photographs, passport or PAN card copies), who they had issued SIM cards. They would also scan their photographs. Using these photocopies, they would get multiple SIM cards issued from the companies they worked for. “With duplicated documents, hundreds of SIM cards were obtained in one genuine customers’ name,” Roy said.

They would sell these SIM cards to customers. “The group sold these at prices ranging between Rs 400 and Rs 1,000 – as against the market price of Rs25-Rs40,” said Roy.

Police are worried about the security implications of the racket, which shows the ease with which SIM cards can be obtained using fake identities. If police track any activity on these numbers, it would be traced to the customer who’s duplicate documents were used. “That person would have little clue that hundreds of cards were being issued in his name,” said Roy.

The Telephone Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been informed, so it can begin an inquiry. “It’s a national security concern,” said Roy.

[sujit_k 141]

^^^ bhaiya mere yahan to preactivated sim 10Rs me mil jaati hai... That too if you don't submit the documents then it gets registered on somebody's name. Address Verification me prepaid number disconnect hote hue to maine kabhi nahi dekha yahan.

The companies are concerned only about sales and achieving their targets.

[me_saket 73]

Here distributor activate sim card on document submited by old person,who genuinely buy sim. Then this customer docs were used for activating new sim which is sold to new person, and cycle continues.

Sent from my HuaweiU8300 using Tapatalk

[sougatadc 358]

For almost last 5-6 months Reliance GSM was being sold as pre-activated 3G SIMs around Kolkata region @ Rs. 35 with 500 MB data valid for 30 days.

500 MB against Rs. 35 was a good choice without any document or photograph.

It seems that this are not going to work any more right now.

[commonman 228]

Many years back, the police advised customers to always write the words "document proof for connection No....................." on any document they submit. Guess people are never willing to follow directives.

[Honest 836]

^^^

I always write such comments whenever I purchase new connection. And I purchase only through Company's outlet.....never submitted my documents to local dealer. But as in the news stated even company officials too are involved in this racket, so neither company's outlet are 100% safe.

[ashokb 11]

Honestbhai,

Even their all this things can happen

Only safe place is psu where their are no targets and no interest in this stuff.

[ashokb 11]

Now don't want to dishonor anybody but I have seen forms completed in dozen for 50 rs per form rate. All at company officer paid stuff.

This document scam is too bad and it's evil.

Is their anyway to find connections taken on your name. Before police come knocking.

[me_saket 73]

even psu can have connection activated on someone's name.

[Karthik R 246]

Only safe place is psu where their are no targets and no interest in this stuff.

True! BSNL should be given a clean chit in this regard. They don't care about numbers.

New operators are more guilty, involved in this matter as they widely indulge in such practices to ramp up sufficient numbers to present a rosy picture of state of affairs. Incumbent operators who have amassed subscribers over time, are not under much pressure to resort to these measures.

[sujit_k 141]

atleast these private operators bar the incoming and outgoing sometimes due to documents issue.. but bsnl never does that..

I had a bsnl number (I had given all my KYC documents) but after 4 yrs bsnl asked me to resubmit my documents... When I visited their customer service center I found that the number was not in my name 4 years in someone else's name and still nothing happened.. THIS IS BSNL :D

[drmadhu 87]

^^^

This will also happen with reliance cdma

[invisiblebond 7]

Many years back, the police advised customers to always write the words "document proof for connection No....................." on any document they submit. Guess people are never willing to follow directives.

Thanks for the info

[manishag 17]

bhai ye dhandha to maine bahut baar point out kiya hai.

Jammu me to SIM bhade pe milta hai.

Humare Vodafone ke bahut se territory manager bahut baar is gorakh dhandhe me jail gaye hain

Chandigarh me to dealer ko sare operators ke preactivated SIM card hi milte hain

[TechieGuy 1]

Trai should impose heavy penalties on these private operators for such malpractices.

Using other person's identity should be considered as Criminal activity.

[ami1 237]

The solution is not to have more and more rules but to stop having such stupid rules in the first place.

Otherwise we'll end up in a scenario where you need to submit documents to drink water ! Because, bad guys drink water so it'll help catch them if records were available of everyone who is drinking water. The logic is the same.