Tezzbuzz Desk If the SIM card issued in your name is used by someone else for illegal activity, it can cause problems for you. The Department of Telecommunications i.e. DoT has cautioned mobile users in this regard on Monday. The department has asked people not to give the SIM card issued in their name to any other person for use and to keep checking from time to time how many mobile connections are active in their name.
According to DoT, fraudulent issuance of SIM, misuse of telecom identifier and tampering with IMEI number can be a serious matter under the law. Under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, there is a provision of up to 3 years in jail and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh in such cases. This warning from the department is especially important for those people whose documents can be used to activate another SIM connection without their knowledge or consent. Apart from this, those who have given their SIM card to someone else for use, they also need to be careful.
DoT has advised people to regularly check the mobile connections issued in their name through Sanchar Saathi portal and mobile app. With this, it can be found out whether there is any SIM active in your name about which you are not aware. If any unknown connection is seen, appropriate action can be taken by reporting it. This advisory of DoT has been issued after a case came to light during the investigation of cyber crime. A Point of Sale (PoS) agent in Chhattisgarh had allegedly activated 25 mobile connections of people using their documents without their knowledge or consent. During verification, many of these numbers were found illegal, after which they were closed.
This case also draws attention to the fact that if a SIM is issued in the name of a person by misusing his documents, then that number can be used in cyber crimes or other illegal activities. In such a situation, it becomes necessary for mobile users to keep track of active connections in their name. The department has also warned against tampering with the IMEI number. IMEI is a unique number associated with the identity of a mobile device. DoT has asked to be cautious of such modems, SIM boxes and other devices in which the IMEI number has been changed or tampered with. Along with this, people have been advised not to use apps, websites or tools that change information related to Calling Line Identity i.e. CLI and other telecom identities. According to the department, such changes in telecom identity can pose a risk to the security and reliability of the network.