PRE-registered SIM cards are now available on the internet.
These SIMs have undergone registration using the fake identity of an individual.
In fact, on Facebook’s marketplace, pre-registered SIMs are widespread and used in illegal activities.
They are sold for P150 or more each on Facebook.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is advising against their usage.
In an interview, Usec. Gilbert Cruz said law enforcement agencies are intensifying their monitoring of pre-registered SIMs.
The PAOCC also suggests increasing penalties for those selling and buying pre-registered SIMs, including imprisonment.
“In my opinion, ma’am, we should increase the penalties once you are in possession of a pre-registered SIM card, especially if you intend to use it for illicit activities, whether it’s POGO-related crimes or kidnapping. Pre-registered SIM cards are used in kidnapping and extortion activities. There should be higher penalties for possession alone,” according to Usec. Gilbert Cruz, PAOCC.
There is also a possibility that the personal data of an individual is being used on such pre-registered SIM cards, possibly taken from hacked government websites.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is currently investigating organized crime syndicates that use pre-registered SIMs.
“If you have a pre-registered SIM card, and the information inside is bogus, once it is proven that the entries are fake, there should be automatic and higher penalties, including for the seller,” Cruz, added.
The DICT urges the public to report individuals or groups involved in selling registered SIM cards to the Inter-Agency Response Center at hotline 1326.
