Lending SIM Registered in Your Name Can Trigger Severe Penalties and Jail Under New Telecom Rules The Department of Telecommunications has warned that sharing SIM cards registered under your identity or acquiring connections fraudulently can attract fines up to Rs 50 lakh and three years of imprisonment. Subscribers often register mobile connections under their personal credentials and pass them along to friends, relatives, or acquaintances, but this casual practice now carries severe legal liabilities. The Department of Telecommunications issued a stern advisory on September 21 cautioning citizens against handing over connections registered in their names. Regulatory authorities have made it clear that if a SIM card registered under your identity is used in any cybercrime or illicit operation, law enforcement agencies will hold the registered owner accountable first before tracing the actual user. Severe Fines and Imprisonment Under New Legal Framework Under the revised legislative framework governing telecommunications, fraudulent subscription activities and identity tampering have been designated as serious offenses. The government has affirmed that procuring SIM cards through fabricated identification, compromising telecom identities, or altering a mobile device's IMEI identifier will invite stringent action. Violators face monetary penalties scaling up to ₹50 lakh alongside potential jail sentences lasting up to 3 years. Why Handing Your Connection to Others Poses Severe Risks Telecom authorities emphasize that law enforcement mechanisms rely on official subscriber registries during investigations. When fraudulent activities, financial scams, or cyber misconduct occur via a mobile connection, investigators initiate action against the individual documented on the official identity card. The burden of explaining unauthorized usage falls upon the registered subscriber, making it imperative that citizens avoid sharing or leasing out numbers linked to their personal credentials. Chhattisgarh SIM Fraud Case Triggered Regulatory Crackdown This heightened enforcement follows a major cyber fraud recently uncovered in the state of Chhattisgarh. A local SIM retail vendor exploited customer identity documents submitted for legitimate purchases. Without the knowledge or consent of those individuals, the agent fraudulently activated 25 additional mobile connections utilizing the same papers. The breach was flagged by the Digital Intelligence Platform operated by the Department of Telecommunications. In coordination with telecom operators, authorities promptly blacklisted the vendor, thoroughly investigated all 25 unauthorized numbers, and permanently disconnected them. Step-by-Step Method to Audit Mobile Connections Online To assist the public in protecting their personal identities, the government maintains a dedicated digital interface that allows subscribers to track every active number tied to their credentials • Visit the Portal: Navigate directly to the official Sanchar Saathi platform. • Complete Authentication: Enter your current operational mobile number to log in securely. The portal will display an exhaustive list of all telephone connections activated against your identification documents. • Report and Block Unauthorized Numbers: If you identify any unfamiliar telephone numbers that you never purchased or authorized, submit an immediate blocking request directly through the portal interface. • Verify Handset Authenticity: Use the portal's dedicated feature to test mobile handset genuineness by entering your device's IMEI number, which reveals the confirmed brand, model, and manufacturing details to ensure the hardware is genuine. What this means for you This advisory directly affects every citizen holding identity-linked mobile connections across the country. • Personal Accountability: Registered identity holders will face direct legal scrutiny if their assigned connections participate in illicit activities. Avoid providing personal SIM cards to acquaintances or casual contacts. • Identity Auditing: Users must proactively verify that historical document submissions have not been misused by rogue vendors. Logging into the designated portal allows immediate detection of unwanted connections. • Immediate Disconnection: Suspect numbers operating under your name can be terminated promptly before they commit infractions. Taking swift action protects you from penalties reaching ₹50 lakh and potential litigation. • Handset Verification: Devices running on compromised or forged IMEI numbers risk network blacklisting and operational failure. Checking hardware details through official tools ensures your equipment remains compliant. Why this happened The regulatory clampdown follows widespread abuse of personal identification documents to procure untraceable SIM cards used in sophisticated cyber frauds. • Retail Agent Fraud: In a documented incident in Chhattisgarh, a telecom vendor exploited genuine customer documents to activate 25 unauthorized lines surreptitiously. The discovery highlighted systemic risks where innocent identities are leveraged for fraudulent operations. • Automated Threat Detection: The Department of Telecommunications detected these irregular activations through its Digital Intelligence Platform. This intervention underscored the vulnerability of citizens whose data is processed by unvetted local vendors. • Deterrence Through Penalties: Existing administrative measures lacked adequate financial and punitive weight to deter rogue retailers. Implementing statutory penalties up to ₹50 lakh and 3 years in prison establishes strong legal deterrence against telecom identity tampering. Questions & Answers 1. What are the penalties for fraudulent SIM activation or IMEI tampering under the new rules? Violations can attract a monetary penalty of up to Rs 50 lakh and a prison sentence of up to 3 years. 2. What happens if someone else commits a crime using a SIM registered under my name? Law enforcement agencies will trace the registered identity first and hold you initially accountable for the connection. 3. How can subscribers check how many SIM cards are active against their identity? Users can log into the government Sanchar Saathi portal (sancharsaathi.gov.in) with their mobile number to view all linked connections. 4. What action should be taken if an unfamiliar number is listed under your profile? You can immediately submit a formal disconnection and blocking request directly through the Sanchar Saathi portal interface. 5. What action was taken against the fraudulent SIM retailer in Chhattisgarh? The agent was blacklisted by telecom providers, and all 25 fraudulently activated numbers were permanently disconnected. https://trendkia.com/en/technology/dusaron-ko-apane-nama-ka-sim-dena-para-sakata-hai-bhari-kendra-sarakara-ke-nae-niyamon-men-bhari-jurmana-aura-jail-ka-pravadhana-35850 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.