PTA blocks mobile devices fraud

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Thursday informed the National Assembly Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication that the authority had blocked about 86,000 mobile devices that were found involved in fraudulent activities. The committee meeting was chaired by Ali Khan Jadoon.

PTA Chairman Major General (R) Amir Azeem Bajwa informed the committee, “Blocking of SIMs involved in frauds is a less plenty to the elements looting the peoples, so cause them a financial damage, the authority has blocked about 86,000 mobile devises during last one year,” he added.

From November 2020 to November 2021, the chairman said about 600 percent decrease had been witnessed in the sale of fake, illegal SIMs across the country.

He further said the PTA during the last three years had also blocked about 526,082 fake SIMs and 360,569 Computerized National Identify Cards used for getting the illegal Sims. He said Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) had been directed to install Live Finger Detective (LED) Devices for issuance of SIMs.

At present, he said subscribers’ Antecedents Verification Regulations 2015 and SOP by PTA to regulate SIMs sale issue in April 2019 were in place.

He said to discourage the business of fake SIMs, directions had been passed to NADRA to do verification based on index fingers instead of thumb impressing under discussion between PTA, NADRA, and CMOs for implementation.

He informed the NA body that penalizing SOMs for violations penalty of Rs 100 million and Rs 50 million imposed on CMPak and Ufone respectively.

The chairman said that as per law no Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) were authorized to sell SIMs door-to-Door.

Additional secretary Federal Investigation Agency informed the committee that about 89,000 Cyber Crime complaints had been received by it. He said that FIA had recently had recovered about 13,000 fake Sims in Faisalabad recently.

The committee also sought a comprehensive briefing on Social Media rules. The chairman said that feedback from the parliamentarians should also be included.