SIM Card Rules: Government is strict on misuse of SIM card, 3 years in jail and fine up to ₹ 50 lakh; Know the new rules of Telecom Law

The Central Government has taken strict steps to stop the rapidly increasing cases like cyber crime, online fraud and digital arrest in the country. Now getting a SIM card in someone else’s name or fake documents (Fake Documents) or misusing the SIM card can prove costly. Under the new Telecommunications Act, such crimes have been included in the category of non-bailable and cognizable offences.

The government clearly believes that most of the organized cyber crimes are committed through the network of fake and unauthorized SIM cards. The objective of the new rules is to prevent misuse of identity cards of common citizens and to make the entire system transparent and accountable, from issuing the SIM to its use.

Under the Telecom Act, if any person is found to have obtained a SIM card by fraud, deceit, biometric theft or by using fake identity documents, there is a provision for strict legal action against him.

If proven guilty, the accused can be punished with a prison sentence of up to 3 years, a heavy fine of up to ₹50 lakh, or both. This provision not only applies to the end user who misuses the SIM, but also cracks down on SIM dealers, agents and middlemen who activate SIMs illegally in the greed of commission without proper verification (e-KYC).

Under the new rules, the maximum limit for holding a SIM card for an individual consumer has also been clearly fixed. A citizen can have a maximum of 9 active SIM cards in his name. Whereas from security point of view, this limit has been kept at maximum 6 SIM cards for the residents of sensitive areas like Jammu-Kashmir, Assam and North-Eastern states.

If a person keeps a SIM card active beyond the prescribed limit without valid official permission, the rule of administrative fine will be applicable on him. The fine can go up to ₹50,000 per additional SIM for the first time and up to ₹2 lakh per SIM for repeated violations.

If a person fears that another SIM has been issued on his Aadhar card or identity card without his knowledge, he can take the help of ‘Sanchar Saathi’, the official portal of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Investigation can be done from home through the TAFCOP (Telecom Analytics for Fraud Management and Consumer Protection) facility operated under this.

The method of checking is very easy:

1. Visit the official website sancharsaathi.gov.in.

2. Select “Know Your Mobile Connections” (TAFCOP) option on the homepage.

3. Enter your primary 10 digit mobile number and captcha code given on the screen.

4. Enter the OTP received on the phone and submit.

5. A list of all the mobile numbers registered in your name will appear on the screen. If a number appears that is not yours, you can immediately report it and get it blocked by selecting it and clicking on “Not My Number” or “Not Required”.

To avoid SIM card fraud, citizens should also be cautious at the personal level. Never give loose photocopy of your Aadhaar card to any unauthorized stall or unknown person. Whenever a copy of the identity card is given, write on it by hand the date and the purpose for which it is being given.

Also, contact your telecom operator immediately in case of unusual network outage or sudden signal loss on your primary SIM to avoid digital SIM swap fraud. Do not share OTP or personal banking details received from any unknown call. If the mobile phone is stolen or lost, immediately block the IMEI number of the phone through the CEIR system of the Sanchar Saathi portal, so that no one can misuse your handset.