Over 7,000 registered SIM seized in Bulacan

Authorities have seized more than 7,000 registered SIM cards from a Taiwanese national and his two Filipino accomplices in Bulacan.

File photo: SIM card

Registered SIM for sale?

Citing the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, Inquirer.net said a total of 7,308 SIM cards from different telcos were confiscated from the suspects. Some were even found to have verified accounts on different e-wallet platforms, including GCash, Maya, GrabPay, Coins.ph, and PayPal, as well as accounts on e-banks SeaBank, Maybank, and UnionBank.

They were arrested last week in their residence in San Jose Del Monte City.

ACG spokesperson Capt. Michelle Sabino said the suspects have been buying registered SIM cards since last August, "usually from the people in the provinces who need fast cash."

Each of the cards cost PHP 400, provided that they were confirmed to have been registered and verified digital cash wallet accounts.

These were then sold to scammers.

From only around PHP 40 to PHP 50, a registered SIM card is being sold online between PHP 350 to PHP 500.

Sabino warned the public against selling their registered SIM cards, which is already prohibited under the SIM Registration Act.

The problem here for those who sold their registered SIM cards is that you are technically selling your identities to be used for fraudulent and criminal activities, she said.

Once the cops start doing the money trail for these crimes, it [will] lead to you, you [will] be implicated and we [will] be coming after you, she explained.

Under the law, the illegal sale or transfer of a registered SIM card carries a penalty of imprisonment ranging from six months to six years, and/or a fine from PHP 100,000 to PHP 300,000.

SIM registration was extended until July 25 from originally April 26.

As of May 10, DICT Secretary Ivan Uy said around 95 million of the 100 million active users have listed their SIM.

Failure to register will lead to deactivation of SIM.

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Via: Inquirer.net