SIM swap fraud: Indian Govt brings new rule for porting SIM Card to stop these attacks

Mangalore Today News Network/News18

New Delhi, Mar 20, 2024: SIM swap frauds have become a menace lately and the Indian telecom body is ready to tackle this issue by changing the rules that help you port mobile numbers. The decision has been made by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently which is related to the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) rules for mobile subscribers.

SIM swap fraud allows the hacker to clone your SIM and use the same for making bank payments and stealing money without alarming the person. MNP is basically the process which allows you to switch from Airtel to Jio or vice-versa, based on your preference and the telcos have a short window to make the switch happen.

New MNP Rule From TRAI For Mobile Users In India: What It Says

The whole focus of TRAI is to make sure that any possible duplication of a SIM card in a space of 7 days will be heralded as a red flag. So, if a person has got a new physical SIM card because of some reason, TRAI’s new rule will ensure the said person is not able to port to a different operator for seven days.

It seems the telecom authority has noticed that some of the SIM swap frauds are linked to phone numbers being ported, which makes it hard for the law enforcement agencies to track down the culprit. More importantly, some of the SIM swap attacks tend to originate from a call to the customer care, asking them to arrange for a new SIM card because their existing card was stolen or damaged over time.

The TRAI rule is only applicable if you have got a new SIM card from the telco, and in case you haven’t done that, the regular MNP process goes along and gets you ported to another telecom operator of your choice.