The government has started tracing organized syndicates using pre-registered SIM cards to scam people, amid questions on how this scheme works, the Department of Information and Communications Technology said on Saturday.
Earlier, lawmakers urged the DICT to explain the proliferation of text scams despite the presence of the SIM Registration Law.
DICT Secretary Ivan Uy, quoted by reports, said criminal syndicates have bought pre-registered SIMs (subscriber identity modules) from individuals who were willing to sell these, even if SIMs have their names.
Each SIM may cost at least P500, Uy said. He also warned the public from participating in selling their SIMs.
Uy disclosed that some individuals buy 10 SIM cards under their names and then sell the SIM cards.
The official said these individuals probably do not know that in the case of a lawsuit — particularly involving the use of SIM cards—they will still be part of the case, and will need legal counsel, which can be costly.
Officials earlier reported that authorities were already able to apprehend many syndicates involved in this type of fraud, the latest of which involved six individuals operating on 25,000 pre-registered SIMs in Pasay City.
Uy warned about the magnitude of these syndicates, noting they were “very well-funded” since criminals supposedly finance these scams. He added that these syndicates are also “highly technical.”
The 25,000 pre-registered SIM cards, which also have e-wallets, have an estimated “load” of P1 billion, Uy said.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) earlier said more than 118 million subscribers have completed the SIM registration, The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, an attached agency of the DICT, for its part already urged the public to report text scams so authorities could identify the source of the message.