UK to ban 'sim farms' used by scammers to send mass fraud messages
LONDON: SIM farm devices capable of holding multiple SIM cards enabling scammers to send thousands of scam text messages at once are to be banned under UK government plans to crack down on fraud.
The ban, the first of its kind in Europe, will make the possession or supply of the devices without good reason illegal, with unlimited fines in England and Wales and a £5,000 (RM29,098 or US$6,600) fine in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The government said the devices are used by criminals to hold multiple SIM cards, which as well as allowing scammers to send out thousands of messages to people at the same time, can also be used to create verified accounts on social media and other platforms in large volumes.
The UK Home Office said recent data showed fraud had increased last year by 19%, and now accounts for more than 40% of all reported crime in England and Wales.
UK Fraud Minister David Hanson said: "Fraud devastates lives, and I am determined to take the decisive action necessary to protect the public from these shameful criminals.
"Two-thirds of British adults say they've received a suspicious message on their phone – equivalent to more than 35 million people – which is why cracking down on SIM farms is so vital to protecting the public.
"This marks a leap forward in our fight against fraud and will provide law enforcement and industry partners with the clarity they need to protect the public from this shameful crime.
"This Government will continue to take robust action to protect the public from fraud and deliver security and resilience through the Plan for Change."
Nick Sharp, deputy director for fraud at the National Crime Agency (NCA), said: "Fraud is the crime we are all most likely to experience, and one that causes victims significant emotional and financial harm.
"We know that fraud at scale is being facilitated by SIM farms, which give criminals a means and an opportunity to contact victims at scale with relative ease.
"The ban announced today is very welcome. It will give us a vital tool to step up our fight against fraudsters, target the services they rely on, and better protect the public."
The government said the new ban will come into effect six months after the Crime and Policing Bill receives royal assent.
Scam text messages have become an increasingly common problem in recent years, with mobile operators regularly introducing new technology to help spot and block them before they reach the public.
Rachel Andrews, head of corporate security at Vodafone UK, said the ban on SIM farms was an "important step" in preventing fraud.
"Vodafone UK is committed to protecting all our customers from fraud, including activity enabled by SIM farms," she said.
"So far this year we have blocked over 38.5 million suspected scam messages, and in 2024 that figure reached over 73.5 million for the year.
"As an industry, UK telecoms operators have blocked more than one billion suspected scam messages since 2023.
"However, we cannot fully tackle fraud in isolation; collaboration between industry and government is crucial.
"This is a really important step taken by the Home Office and we fully support the inclusion of SIM farms in the upcoming legislation.
"We look forward to working together on this issue."
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: "We welcome this move but let's not pretend Labour led the charge. This builds directly on the work the Conservatives did last year to crack down on SIM farms through the Criminal Justice Bill.
"These devices are the weapon of choice for fraudsters. We acted to close that loophole, and it's right that Labour are finally scrambling to catch up.
"Enforcement is now key, as criminals will always look for new ways to abuse the system. Ministers must ensure this legislation is watertight, or it risks being a ban in name only." – dpa
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