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Amendments to SIM registration law eyed to combat fraud, scams

Philippines | National

Amendments to SIM registration law eyed to combat fraud, scams

By Hannah L. Torregoza

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is now eyeing amendments to the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Act or Republic Act No. 11934, to combat fraud and scamming activities by perpetrators.

“It is incumbent upon the government to safeguard unwary or unsuspecting Filipinos from any harm caused by fraudulent activities facilitated by cybercriminals, including POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) operations that serve as scam hubs to commit crimes,” said Gatchalian.

The senator pointed out POGOs may still operate clandestinely despite the total ban imposed by the government.

Thus, he said, it is imperative to amend the law to help identify individuals or organizations that enable the illegal use of registered SIMs.

Among the amendments include limiting the number of allowed SIMs that can be registered per user and regulating Short Message Service (SMS) marketing, promotional, political or fundraising sent through SIMs.

Gatchalian pointed out that despite the measure’s enactment, there has been a continued discovery of registered SIMs, cellphones, computers and pocket Wi-Fi devices, especially in POGO operations that engaged in various forms of online scams, such as love scams and cryptocurrency scams.

Related Tags

Sherwin Gatchalian SIM Registration Act POGO ban

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