The Indian government has taken a major step towards curbing cyber fraud in India. The government has introduced two new reforms for the telecom sector. Both of these reforms are focused on SIM cards and their dealers. One of the prominent causes for an increase in cyber fraud in the Indian subcontinent is easy access to SIMs. SIM cards are leveraged by fraudsters to commit cybercrimes by hiding their identities. To ensure that this doesn't happen, the government has come up with two new reforms.
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According to an ET report, Ashwini Vaishnaw, union telecom minister, said that the government has made it mandatory for SIM dealers to be verified by the police. This would be a major step towards ensuring that SIM dealing activities don't fall into the hands of the wrong people. Then, as per the minister, the government has also stopped selling bulk SIMs. So now, fraudsters can't get access to a whole bunch of SIMs to commit crimes.
Both steps actually ensure that regular consumers can be safe from cybercrime. These reforms are purely focused on consumer protection, said Vaishnaw. Further, the minister said that over 67,000 SIM dealers have been blacklisted, and 300 FIRs have also been registered. In addition, 17,000 handsets have been blocked that were either obtained illegally or obtained fraudulently.
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As per the minister, the move will lead to a considerable decline in cybercrimes in the country. Vaishnaw said, "The fraudsters, who were operating in the specific pockets of the country, have started feeling the pressure."
The need for such measures, especially in a country such as India, where cybercrime awareness is still not at a good level, is very high. Bulk connection buying is now not possible in India after the introduction of these new reforms.
