THOOTHUKUDI: A SIM card dealer has been arrested for allegedly activating fake SIM cards using Aadhaar details of the unsuspecting public. Sources said the suspect, P Rayen (38) of Bryant Nagar, had activated at least 700 fake SIM cards using a SIM box, a fraudulent device that permits handling of any number of SIM cards belonging to different service providers to access many GSM gateways located across the world.
The Thoothukudi cyber crime police had begun an investigation into the activation of fake SIM cards in the backdrop of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) 2020-21 annual report which indicated that at least 5,000 fake SIM cards had been activated from Thoothukudi. Rayen was nabbed and remanded based on a complaint lodged by Vinodhini of Mela Shanmugapuram, who was a victim of fraudulent activity.
The sleuths said Rayen owned a Xerox and stationery shop. He is also a popular cellular company dealer in the area. He allegedly used the Aadhaar card details of those taking photocopies in his shop, to activate the fake SIM cards. Mafia groups and smugglers use fake SIM cards to evade police scanner. “SIM box devices can divert international calls to a cellular device through the internet. This poses severe security concerns,” said a police officer privy to the investigation.
Previously, the Bengaluru cyber crime police had arrested Chandana Kumar, an associate of Rayen, in connection with the fake SIM card activation case. Thoothukudi SP L Balaji Saravanan appreciated the cyber crime wing for cracking the fake SIM card activation case and also urged the public to check on https://tafcop.sancharsaathi.gov.in/ to find if their mobile number has been linked to any fake SIM card.