As per a probe by the Enforcement Directorate an estimated 36,000 Indian SIM cards were discovered to be activated in Cambodia. Of this big figure an estimated 5300 SIMs were used in cyber fraud incidents amounting to hundreds of crores of rupees. These SIM cards were fraudulently made active in India and handed over to foreign entities who employed them to operate scams targeting Indians.

The ED has unearthed the concerned persons involved in this cyber fraud. The former carried out searches across India and seized bank accounts as well as incriminating documents. The ED launched a probe upon a FIR enacted by Cyber Police Station (Crime), Jodhpur accusing certain POS (Point of Sale) vendors of misusing SIM cards.

The ED stated that numerous vendors exploited the relatively less educated as well as gullible individuals across India deceiving them by telling the purpose was to port their SIM cards or to issue new SIMs. Other SIMs were activated using the credentials of the victims who were unaware of this action. Those SIMs were handed over to Malaysian Nationals for certain monetary commissions. ED also stated that the concerned SIM vendors possessed the POS ID of the telecom operators which were Airtel, Jio and VI (Vodafone India) for the issuance as well as activation of SIM cards.

On June 5th the ED carried our raids in Maharashtra’s Nagpur, Punjab’s Ludhiana and Rajasthan’s Jodhpur and Kishangarh. The raid led to the identification of 30 bank accounts, documents and assets of the accused. As per the authorities, Indian SIM cards were employed to execute scams consisting of digital impersonation, sophisticated phishing as well as fake investment schemes. As the telephone numbers were Indian and familiar the fraudsters were able to win the trust of potential victims and defraud them. The base of the operation was Cambodia which has become notorious for being the origin as well as launching pad of several cyber scams.

Authorities have urged more rigorous monitoring of SIM activation processes to avert abuse of telecom services for cyber fraud purposes.

FAQs

1. What was the cyber fraud involving Indian SIM cards?
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) discovered that around 36,000 Indian SIM cards were activated and used in Cambodia, with approximately 5,300 of them linked to cyber fraud cases worth hundreds of crores of rupees. These SIM cards were used to conduct scams targeting Indian citizens.

2. How were the SIM cards obtained and activated fraudulently?
According to the ED, certain SIM vendors allegedly deceived individuals into providing their credentials by claiming they were porting existing SIMs or issuing new ones. In some cases, SIMs were activated without the victims’ knowledge and later handed over to foreign entities.

3. What types of scams were carried out using these SIM cards?
The fraudsters used the Indian SIM cards for various cybercrimes, including digital impersonation scams, phishing attacks, and fake investment schemes. The use of Indian phone numbers helped them gain the trust of potential victims.

4. Which telecom operators’ SIM cards were reportedly involved?
The investigation found that some accused vendors used Point of Sale (POS) IDs associated with telecom operators such as Airtel, Jio, and VI (Vodafone Idea) to issue and activate SIM cards that were later misused.

5. What actions have authorities taken in response to the fraud?
The ED conducted raids in Nagpur, Ludhiana, Jodhpur, and Kishangarh, leading to the identification of multiple bank accounts, documents, and assets linked to the accused. Authorities have also called for stricter monitoring of SIM card activation processes to prevent similar frauds in the future.

SOURCES:-

https://the420.in/cambodia-indian-sim-cards-cyber-fraud-ed-probe/

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/5300-of-36000-indian-sims-used-in-cambodia-for-rs-100-crore-cyber-fraud-in-india/articleshow/131591714.cms?from=mdr

https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/5300-of-36000-indian-sims-used-in-cambodia-for-rs-100-crore-cyber-fraud-in-india20260608193804/

https://www.etvbharat.com/en/bharat/several-indian-sims-used-from-cambodia-for-cyber-frauds-ed-begins-probe-enn26060806678

https://www.moneylife.in/article/indian-sims-cambodian-operations-ed-identifies-5300-mobile-numbers-30-bank-accounts-used-for-crossborder-cyber-frauds/80709.html