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?SIM-scare? grips retailers, dealers
THERE IS panic among dealers and retailers following reports that criminals were using pre-activated SIM cards to demand ransom or extortion calls. As a result, all of a sudden, dealers and retailers had become cautious in selling pre-activated SIM cards to unknown customers, said Ashish, a salesman at Sanjeev Door Sanchar Kendra in Civil Lines area.
THERE IS panic among dealers and retailers following reports that criminals were using pre-activated SIM cards to demand ransom or extortion calls.
As a result, all of a sudden, dealers and retailers had become cautious in selling pre-activated SIM cards to unknown customers, said Ashish, a salesman at Sanjeev Door Sanchar Kendra in Civil Lines area.
Retailers who have sold pre activated SIM cards of different companies to people without taking proof of their identity may be in for trouble, said the salesman.
Reason: Cell phone companies have started cross checking whether the user was genuine or fake, he added.
An Airtel official, on conditions of anonymity, said the company’s local agency was entrusted with the job of cross checking and verifying the address and proof of identity within five days after sale of the SIM. He claimed that but before this process, the retailer had been told to first see the original documents of address and identity.
The retailers had also been asked to keep a photocopy of it only then a SIM card be handed over to the customer. Later, the local agency was crosschecking the address and the connection was snapped in case anything was wrong, he added.
It is worth mentioning that in the Sunny kidnapping and murder case, after kidnapping Sunny on October 24 from Delhi, the kidnappers had allegedly purchased a pre activated Hutch SIM from a retailer near Civil Lines bus stand in Allahabad and had made a ransom call demanding Rs 20 lakh for the kid’s release.
Later, they reportedly purchased another SIM from Babaganj in Pratapgarh and made another call to the child’s father. However, the kidnappers, sensing cops chasing them, mercilessly killed the boy and threw his body in a canal near Raniganj in Pratapgarh district.
They were, however, arrested on December 3.On the other hand Reliance another big player in the field has snapped ties with nearly 10,000 subscribers in a bid to cleanse the system.
These subscribers had not furnished enough proof of their identity and address.
However, those who have responded to company’s request have got their connections back, said an officer on condition of anonymity.
No info about NBW with cell company
Meanwhile, regarding a story published in Hindustan Times on December 10, “Cell Cos’ latest: Connecting predator to prey”, CEO Hutch (UP) Gurdeep Singh said that the company till date, had no information about any non-bailable warrant issued in the name of Amit Philip, Krishna Kanta Singh, Manoj Giri and Rupak Ghosh or any other Hutch Official.
He further said the DoT had issued a new norm regarding the verification of subscribers on November 22, 2006, which clearly stated that complete subscriber information must be available with all service providers and the same be duly verified by March 2007.
It had been decided that each licensee should take up re-verification of existing and new subscribers on a priority basis and ensure that the process was completed by March 31, 2007.
The licensee company should cross check the information from the actual user by calling the respective subscriber. There should not be any connection working after the stipulated time frame in the licensee network without verification.
