Tougher laws for those who misuse SIM cards for scams

A sampling study found that close to 80 per cent of local SIM cards misused for crime were registered with another person’s particulars.Stronger action will be taken against those who enable the misuse of local SIM cards for criminal activity, and claiming ignorance will no longer be a valid defence.

Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo said scams remain a problem, with more than 46,000 cases in 2023.She said the Infocomm Media Development Authority had introduced the SMS Sender ID Registry in 2023, causing scams from SMSes to fall by 70 per cent in the three months after implementation.Mrs Teo said: “With these measures in place, scammers have quickly changed their tactics and pivoted to using local SIM cards to reach prospective victims.

She said a sampling study found close to 80 per cent of local SIM cards misused for crime were registered with another person’s particulars.The new offences that were introduced specifically target irresponsible subscribers, middlemen and errant retailers. It will be an offence for a person to hand over local SIM cards registered in his own name, or to allow his particulars to be used to sign up for a local SIM card by another person if he believes that the SIM card will be misused.

Middlemen are those who broker SIM cards for misuse, including providing local SIM cards to scam syndicates. To tackle this group, it will be an offence for a person to receive, supply or possess local SIM cards registered using another person’s particulars, and unregistered SIM cards if he believes the cards will be misused.

She said: “Every SIM card in the hands of a scammer is a weapon. Armed with even just one SIM card, a scammer can do a great deal of harm.”

Source: Law Daily Report (lawdailyreport.net)

Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Singapore passes new law targeting the sale and misuse of local SIM cards for scamsThe intent is not to penalise those who give away SIM cards for legitimate purposes, such as those who register SIM cards in their names for family members' use, says Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo.
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Australia to Enforce Tougher Visa Rules for Foreign StudentsAustralia will begin enforcing tougher visa rules for foreign students this week as official data showed migration hit another record high, which is likely to further exacerbate an already tight rental market.
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »

Australian spy scandal leads to push for tougher security laws, speculation over who ‘traitor’ MP isAustralia’s domestic spy chief said the MP is no longer a security concern.
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »

Hong Kong issues new national security law Bill with tougher jail termsThe Bill lists five new categories of offences - treason, insurrection, espionage and theft of state secrets, sabotaging national security and external interference.
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Fighting SIM card fraud: New bill targets irresponsible subscribers, middlemen and errant retailersThink you can make easy money by providing your personal details for someone else to sign up for a SIM card? Well, if that person is caught using the card for criminal activity, you might be in hot water. Tougher laws may soon be imposed on those who are caught misusing and selling local SIM cards to facilitate scams. The...
Source: asiaonecom - 🏆 10. / 59 Read more »

Citing alleged abuses on OnlyFans, lawmakers call for stronger safeguardsThree US lawmakers and two in Britain called for tougher safeguards against online sexual exploitation after a Reuters investigation this week identified more than 140 police complaints of nonconsensual pornography on OnlyFans, the popular adults-only website.
Source: asiaonecom - 🏆 10. / 59 Read more »