Go after fraudsters instead of amending SIM law
September 24, 2024Go after fraudsters instead of amending SIM law
Statement of CitizenWatch Philippines
CitizenWatch Philippines cautions the government against amending the SIM Card Registration Law in haste, because the proposal to limit SIM ownership would mean nothing if law enforcement remains weak and incapable of going after fraudsters.
The impact of regulating the number of SIMs one can register will just be an inconvenience to fraudsters. It is so easy to bypass such restrictions because there are many ways scammers can gain other ‘unique’ identities.
Fraudsters do not usually act on their own but are usually part of a group of organized cybercriminals who resort to identity theft and other sophisticated tactics to pursue their aim.
Thus, what we really need is an enforcement system that goes after scammers, not more laws to burden consumers with.
The proposed amendment, however, will unduly burden legitimate consumers like businesses that need to deploy multiple sims for internal communications and online transactions that are essential for operations.
The focus should be on engaging cybersecurity experts and investing in strengthening the government’s enforcement capacity to fight the relentless attacks of perpetrators of scams, disinformation, and other cybercrime activities.
To significantly enhance deterrence, we propose to increase both the imprisonment terms and fines for these fraudsters and organized cybercriminals such as removing the current option of choosing between imprisonment or a fine.
The actions of online fraudsters pose a real threat to consumers, businesses, and the government, with the potential for harm that is tantamount to economic sabotage.
A database for ID verification should also be established to accurately cross-check the identity of applicants for SIM registration will be helpful for telcos and can even be used for any instance when verification of one’s identity is required.
We ask the government to make public the number of fraudsters who have actually been caught since the implementation of the law in December 2022.
In cases like these, it is the citizen consumers who are bound to suffer. Scammers continue to proliferate, victimizing or posing harm on those who have already registered their own SIMs to comply with the law and who are simply using it for their everyday purposes.
Fraud is a complex issue. Arbitrary limits on SIM registration allowed for a single user will not stop it.
Instead of imposing yet more restrictions that can be circumvented anyway, the government should work more closely with telcos to create more solutions against fraud. It is a complex problem that demands sustained action.