Singapore prevents use of SIM cards for scams

Singapore has passed a bill regulating criminal acts and tougher penalties for those who use SIM cards for scams.

The Law Enforcement and Other Matters Bill, approved by the Singaporean Parliament on April 2, identifies three groups who use local SIM cards to facilitate scams, namely irresponsible subscribers, middlemen, and errant retailers who deal in such cards.

It will be an offence for a person to hand over local SIM cards registered in his own name, or to allow his particulars to be used to sign up for local SIM cards. But those who have legitimate reasons such as registering a SIM card for their family members will not be liable. Those who were tricked into giving up their particulars will also not be prosecuted.

Middlemen are those who broker SIM cards for misuse, including providing local SIM cards for scam syndicates.

A person with 11 or more of such SIM cards, or a one having a SIM card that was previously used for crime will be liable. However, a person with legitimate reasons like being an employer who is holding on to SIM cards intended for employees will also not be prosecuted.

Errant retailers are those who facilitate the fraudulent registration of local SIM cards.

It will be an offence for a mobile service provider or retailer to register a local SIM card using anyone’s particulars without permission, or knowing that the particulars are false or misleading if it believes the cards will be misused or later used in a crime.

The offences by the brokers and retailers of SIM cards for misuse will similarly carry a fine of up to SGD10,000 ($7,400) and a jail term of up to three years for a first offence. Repeat offenders can be fined up to SGD20,000 and jailed for up to five years.

In 2023, Singapore discovered 46,000 telecommunications scam cases, the highest so far, with losses of up to SGD651.8 million.