INCIDENCE of SIM (customer identity module) card-aided criminal offenses almost tripled throughout the very first half of 2023 compared to the exact same duration in 2015 prior to the application of the SIM Card Registration Act. Information from the Philippine National Police-Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) revealed that from January to June this year, the variety of monetary criminal offenses and online frauds that were reported to the authorities reached 4,104, up from just 1,415 throughout the very same duration in 2022. Practically all SIM card-related criminal offenses were online rip-offs including electronic wallet apps such as GCash, PayMaya and Coins.ph. An overall of 3,587 of these criminal offenses were committed utilizing GCash, 49 with PayMaya and 4 with Coins.ph. Based upon the very same report, 445 of these SIM card-aided criminal offenses included bank scams, while 18 were text rip-offs. Get the most recent news provided to your inbox Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters By joining an e-mail address, I acknowledge that I have actually checked out and accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The PNP-ACG stated 3,422 of these reported cases including GCash as the platform utilized have actually been fixed, with 29 of these having actually been submitted prior to the courts. On the other hand, out of the 49 cases where lawbreakers utilized PayMaya as their platform, 47 have actually been fixed. Authorities think about 410 cases including bank scams resolved with 35 still under examination. The PNP-ACG report was provided simply days prior to the July 25 due date for SIM card registration set by the nationwide federal government. The SIM Card Registration Act, which worked in December 2022, needs all smart phone users to register their SIM cards with their individual info, including their name, address and federal government ID number. Information from the National Telecommunications Commission revealed that from Dec. 27, 2022 to July 6, 2023, there were 102,062,372 signed up SIM cards, or an overall of 168,016,400 SIMs offered in the nation. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has actually been actively promoting awareness of the SIM Card Registration Act and motivating individuals to register their SIM cards. The DICT has actually likewise been teaming up with telecoms business to improve and streamline the registration procedure. It stated the SIM Card Registration Act is an important action towards developing a much safer and more safe and secure Philippines. The department explained that by registering their SIM cards, smart phone or mobile phone users can protect themselves versus scams and other criminal activities. It can likewise assist make sure that their phones are not utilized for unlawful activities.
SIM card-aided criminal activities almost tripled this year
