2 men arrested for fraudulently registering mobile lines and selling them to others

The police arrested two men, aged 40 and 37, for fraudulently registering mobile lines and trading them.

The police said in a statement that officers arrested the men in a six-hour operation on July 31.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the 37-year-old man was working at an events company that conducted SIM card registration roadshows.

He had allegedly registered additional prepaid SIM cards without the customers' consent.

These additional prepaid SIM cards were then sold to individuals who wanted to purchase SIM cards without using their identities. 

The 40-year-old man allegedly abetted the offences and procured the pre-registered prepaid SIM cards from the other man and resold them to others for suspected criminal purposes.

Upon their arrests, an assortment of paraphernalia such as mobile phones, prepaid SIM cards and records were seized.

Police investigations are ongoing.

The police said criminals may exploit such fraudulently registered prepaid SIM cards as an anonymous channel of communication for illicit activities such as unlicensed moneylending, scams and vice.

Scam syndicates have also been found to perpetrate their criminal activities using such prepaid SIM cards to contact victims and to communicate amongst themselves, to evade possible detection.

The offence of illegally obtaining personal information carries a jail term of up to three years a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

Those guilty of unauthorised modification of computer material can face jail time of up to three years, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

Members of the public are advised to refrain from purchasing pre-registered prepaid/postpaid SIM cards and to always maintain a clear view of their identification documents to prevent them from being misused during the registration of SIM cards by retailers or assistants.