SIM misuse can lead to 3 years in jail, Rs 50 lakh fine: DoT

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has warned against the misuse of SIM cards and telecom identifiers, saying violations under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 can attract imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.

The advisory comes after the DoT detected a fraudulent SIM issuance racket in Chhattisgarh, where mobile connections were activated using citizens’ identity documents without their knowledge or consent.

According to the Department, a Point of Sale (PoS) agent in the state had activated 25 SIM cards using identification documents belonging to citizens without their knowledge or consent.

The DoT, in coordination with telecom service providers, subsequently blacklisted the agent, permanently preventing the outlet from issuing mobile connections.

“Recent cybercrime investigations have brought to light some instances in which a Point of Sale (PoS) agent in Chhattisgarh was found to have illegally activated 25 mobile connections (SIMs) using citizens’ identification documents without their knowledge or consent,” the Ministry of Communications said.

The 25 numbers were then examined through the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP), a DoT system designed to identify suspicious telecom activity. Connections flagged as potentially fraudulent were subjected to re-verification, following which those that failed the process were deactivated.

The DoT said fraudulent issuance of SIM cards, misuse of telecom identifiers and tampering with International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers constitute serious offences under the Telecommunications Act, 2023.

Such violations can attract imprisonment of up to three years and financial penalties of up to Rs 50 lakh, the Department said.

The advisory assumes significance amid increasing concerns over the use of telecom resources for cybercrime, digital fraud and other unlawful activities. The DoT has urged citizens to remain alert about the use of their identity documents for obtaining mobile connections.

As telecom and digital services expand across the country, authorities are also strengthening systems to detect suspicious connections and prevent telecom infrastructure from being exploited for illegal activities.