The FIA Cyber Crimes wing has submitted a report to the Ministry of Interior regarding the fraudulent acquisition of biometrics for withdrawing mobile SIMs.
According to the report, criminals use silicon to get the fingerprints of uneducated people in remote, backward areas, which they use to withdraw fake SIMs.
The authorities’ claims of making mobile phone SIMs biometric across the country have proven false, as the issue of unregistered SIMs has once again started to rear its head.
With the tightening of restrictions, counterfeiters have invented new methods, as the use of fake thumbprints for SIM registration has been revealed.
SIMs are being registered by imprinting fingerprints on silicon thumbs. More than 80,000 SIMs have been found registered on silicon thumbs in the last four years.
The FIA Cyber Crime Circle has submitted a detailed report to the Ministry of Home Affairs in this regard. Fraudsters grab fingerprints on the pretext of voter lists or cheap daily-use items. The unregistered SIMs have been revealed to be used by terrorists, according to the report.
Even now, more than 3,500 SIMs with fake registrations are active. During the last four years, 93 cases have been registered and 193 people arrested in this regard. Moreover, 294 fake biometric devices have been seized.
