Mobile, SIM used for fraud to be permanently blocked

Bengaluru: Deciding to give a shock to the cyber criminals who have made the Bengaluru a hub for frauds, the city police has come up with a strategy to permanently block the mobile phones and SIM cards they use for fraud.

Due to this, the activities of cyber fraudsters who were sitting in unknown places and robbing people's bank accounts through many ways including bank officials and gift offers from abroad will come to a small extent.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2021, Bangalore has been ranked third among the 19 major cities in the country in terms of cyber fraud cases. Cyber financial fraud has increased significantly this year as well. Realizing this, the police had prepared an outline for a plan to permanently block the mobile phones and SIM cards used for fraud in order to hit the source of cyber fraud.

In this regard, the Central Department of Telecommunications responded positively and agreed to the proposal submitted by the city police. Following this, City Police Commissioner CH Pratap Reddy has issued a circular on November 4 to block SIM and mobile phones used for cybercrimes.

Cyber fraudsters based in the states of North India including Rajasthan and Jharkhand call people using SIM cards obtained through fake documents. They make calls along with OTP, gift, health insurance, lucky draw messages and rob people of money in their bank accounts. Even if a case is registered in this regard, it takes a lot of time to arrest the accused. However, the activity of fraudsters will be affected by permanently blocking the SIM and mobile phone which is now being used for the crime.

It is not easy for the same fraudster to buy another mobile, get a SIM in someone else's name and fall into fraud again. This will reduce the frauds that can be done by him. If the mobile phone he uses repeatedly, the SIM card keeps getting blocked, his desire to cheat will diminish. A senior police officer opined that he has no other option but to give up cheating.

People can directly call 1903 or 112 and make a CIR if they receive three messages or calls from a specific mobile number regarding cyber fraud. Alternatively, a complaint can be filed on the National Cyber Reporting Portal (NCRP). An FIR can also be registered. The command center officer explained that based on this complaint, the process of blocking the SIM and mobile phone of fraudsters will be conducted.

Based on the FIR related to cybercrime, the police station prepares a list of mobile numbers used for fraud. Later, the details of the messages exchanged between the complainant and the fraudster will be collected and reported to ACP to block that SIM card. The ACP, who verifies the report, forwards it to the DCPs of the Law and Order Department.

DCPs have been appointed as nodal officers for the process of blocking mobiles and SIM cards. Thus, he was given an e-mail address given by the Department of Telecommunications.

Therefore, based on the ACP report, the list of SIMs and mobiles to be blocked will be sent by e-mail and blocked, the officer explained.

The officer said that the redressal of CIR and NCRP complaints has been handled by the DCP of the command center.