Cyber Fraud: The government is changing the rules for buying SIM cards to stop cyber fraud. These changes will start on October 1, 2023, all over the country.
After this, you can only buy a limited number of SIM cards using your ID. People who buy many SIM cards at once will also be affected.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that these new rules are meant to stop fraud, scam, and fake calls.
Around 52 lakh phone connections have been blocked to stop these types of calls.
The government has also banned 67,000 sellers who were selling SIM cards.
Verification for SIM Sellers
The new rules say that people who sell SIM cards have to get checked by the police and have their fingerprints taken.
They also need to register to sell SIM cards. The telecom companies will be responsible for checking the sellers.
If someone sells a SIM card without following these rules, they can be fined 10 lakh rupees. The sellers have 12 months to get verified.
Using Old Numbers
If you want to get a new SIM card with your old phone number, you’ll need to provide some information by scanning a code on your old card.
New Rules for Bulk SIM Cards
You won’t be able to get many SIM cards at once anymore. There is a new way to get SIM cards for businesses.
However, you can still get up to 9 SIM cards with one ID proof, like before.
If someone stops using their SIM card, that number can be given to someone else only after 90 days.
