There is a "shield" to prevent fake SIM cards.

Despite authorities continuously implementing strong measures to standardize subscriber information, the problem of junk SIM cards and spam calls continues to plague users every day. Especially during Tet (Lunar New Year), when people are busy and often less vigilant, scammers devise sophisticated scenarios to lure and manipulate victims.

Haunted by "harassing" calls.

Ms. Huynh Ngoc Tu (Ho Chi Minh City) said that recently she has been constantly receiving spam calls, mostly from scammers and fraudsters, which almost made her fall into a trap. The callers impersonated police officers, accurately stating her address and ID number, then asked her to come to the police station in Ho Chi Minh City for questioning regarding a criminal case.

"They threatened me, telling me to get my clothes ready because I might be detained for questioning. They asked me to add them on Zalo, send my personal information, and confirm through a strange link. Luckily, I noticed something unusual in time, so the unfortunate incident didn't happen. Besides that, I also frequently receive calls offering to sell houses or open credit cards, which is very annoying!" - Ms. Tú said angrily.

Mr. Ngoc Hai, an office worker in Ho Chi Minh City, said that on average, every few days he receives calls from unknown numbers, with various offers: stock market investments, cheap real estate, life insurance, and even calls from people impersonating delivery drivers demanding upfront payment before delivery. "I've blocked many numbers, but the phone keeps ringing. Spam calls come regardless of lunchtime or after work hours, significantly impacting my work and daily life. As a salesperson, I have to answer every call, but there are even more spam calls than real customers. Sometimes, I don't answer because I think it's a fake SIM card, and then my company gives me a poor customer service rating," Mr. Hai shared.

A citizen was scammed out of money by fraudsters using disposable SIM cards to impersonate delivery drivers and trick them into transferring funds.

Observations show that the market for unregistered SIM cards remains quite open. Users can easily purchase pre-activated SIM cards on social media for prices ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dong, often with attractive offers for domestic calls and large data allowances, without needing to provide identification documents. This is considered a major reason why spam messages, unwanted calls, and scam calls easily target the public. "Because they are unregistered SIM cards, there's no need to register information; they're already identified, customers just need to insert the SIM and use it. Delivery in Ho Chi Minh City takes 3-4 days, and the price starts from only 80,000 dong," said Ms. Th.H, a SIM card seller.

Plugging management loopholes

Amidst the rampant use of unregistered SIM cards, which has caused numerous problems for people's lives, the Ministry of Science and Technology is seeking feedback on a draft Circular guiding the verification of information for terrestrial mobile phone subscribers, expected to take effect from March 1st.

The draft proposes adding an online authentication method through the national identification application VNeID. This is a new feature compared to current regulations, which only allow authentication via telecommunications companies' applications and websites, or in person at transaction points.

Notably, the draft regulations require biometric authentication for mobile subscribers. Accordingly, users will have to verify their biometric data against the data in the National Population Database. Another important point is that users must re-authenticate when changing phones to prevent the misuse of devices for SIM cards registered to them. The implementation of biometric authentication is considered a significant step forward in telecommunications subscriber management, helping to close management loopholes and curb the long-standing problem of "junk SIMs." At the same time, this measure is expected to better protect the legitimate rights of citizens and create an effective "shield" against fraud and the dissemination of spam calls and messages through virtual SIMs.

Mr. Vu Ngoc Son, Head of the Technology and International Cooperation Department (National Cybersecurity Association), stated that STH verification is currently the strongest measure to accurately identify mobile users. STH data is directly cross-referenced with the National Population Database managed by the Ministry of Public Security , ensuring near-absolute accuracy and effectively preventing fraud at its source. Previously, verifying subscriber information through paper ID cards or even photographs carried many risks due to the ease of forgery or misuse of other people's information. However, for STH verification regulations to truly take effect, the role of telecommunications companies is crucial. "Mobile network operators need to invest in synchronized technological infrastructure and build a smooth and convenient information verification process to avoid causing inconvenience to people during the authentication process. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the monitoring mechanism for agents and retail outlets to ensure that there is no longer any 'circumvention of the law' in selling pre-activated SIM cards," Mr. Vu Ngoc Son suggested.

The director of a technology company in Ho Chi Minh City believes that to improve the efficiency of mobile subscriber management, it is necessary to establish a mechanism for monthly or quarterly periodic reporting for telecommunications companies. Network operators must fully report on the standardization of subscriber information, including the number of verified subscribers, the number of rejected or blocked subscribers, as well as incidents related to junk SIMs, fraudulent calls, and messages occurring on their networks. A quarterly or semi-annual reporting mechanism would also provide a basis for regulatory agencies to realistically assess the effectiveness of policy implementation, while simultaneously enhancing the accountability of telecommunications companies.

The data needs to be compiled according to a unified set of criteria, ensuring that it accurately reflects reality and is comparable among network operators, serving as a basis for inspection and supervision. From there, businesses that generate a large number of unregistered SIM cards, are slow to process user complaints, or allow the recurrence of SIM cards not registered in the owner's name should be held accountable and subject to appropriate sanctions. Conversely, units that implement effective measures and manage subscribers well should be recognized and encouraged to create healthy competition.

Failure to authenticate will lock the SIM card.

Another new point in the draft is the stricter regulation for registering from the second H2H (person-to-person communication) subscriber number onwards. Accordingly, when customers activate additional SIM cards, telecommunications companies must not only perform electronic authentication but also apply international technical standards on fraud prevention.

Telecommunications companies will temporarily suspend one-way service for violating subscribers until verification is completed as required; if the deadline stipulated in Decree No. 163/2024/ND-CP dated December 24, 2024, detailing some provisions and measures for implementing the Telecommunications Law, the network operator will continue to suspend two-way service and proceed with contract termination, ending service provision.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/co-la-chan-ngan-sim-rac-196260124211008644.htm