DICT says identity theft used to forge IDs for SIM listing

Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy. Senate PRIB file photo

MANILA, Philippines — Scammers steal identities and use them in making fraudulent identification cards (IDs) for SIM card registration, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy said on Wednesday.

Uy reported that although text scams are lessened due to the SIM registration law, they still prevail since perpetrators can obtain fake IDs to create fake credentials.

“Nakita namin, isang modus nila ay they scout all the social media accounts,” he said at the  Kapihan sa Manila Bay.

(We saw that one of their methods is to scout social media accounts.)

“They get the photo that you post on social media. They get your name and some of your personal details. And they use that daw to apply for an ID — either a fake ID somewhere in an avenue in Manila or actually use those credentials to apply for a genuine government ID,”  he continued, acknowledging that some of the SIM cards they seized were registered with real identities.

Uy noted that some government-issued IDs can easily be faked as they only contain the card owner’s name and a few more details upon release, letting the holders attach their own photos.

He also reported that with the mandatory  SIM listup, some scammers moved to other platforms such as over-the-top applications Viber, Telegram, and Messenger.

DICT is now considering limiting SIM registration to three to four per person to address the continued proliferation of text scams.

“If we follow what other countries implemented on their SIM card registration, there are other countries that have implemented a limitation on the number of SIM cards that can be registered. That’s one option we’re looking at,” he added.

“Perhaps we can make distinctions between corporate accounts and individual accounts. Since corporate accounts, if you want to do a massive registration,” he added, clarifying that if then, corporate accounts will have to present all their credentials that they are a legitimate company.

DICT also confirmed that they might consider Senator Francis Tolentino’s suggestion of imposing higher fees for individuals who want to register more SIM cards.

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JPV/abc