NCC cautions telecom consumers against the use of pre-registered SIM cards

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has, again cautioned telecom consumers against buying and using pre-registered SIM card, which it said poses a security threat to Nigeria as a country and its citizens.

The head of Public Relations at NCC, Mr. Reuben Mouka stated this in a speech on behalf of Prof Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Commission at the NCC Day during the 30th Edition of the Lagos International Trade Fair, organized by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Lagos recently.

Reuben disclosed that despite the inherent dangers associated with the use of unregistered SIM cards and the Commission’s warning against the use of such, there are still situation where some unscrupulous individuals engage in registering and activating a huge number of lines with fraudulent identities with a view to selling them to unwary subscribers who are too busy or too ignorant to understand that they need to have their identities behind their numbers.

He explained that those who engage in these activities are trying to hide their real identities for the purpose of using such lines to perpetrate criminal activities in the society.

“We are saying this today with regards to some instances of use of pre-registered SIM Cards in the country. By our regulation, any new number acquired by the subscriber, would be unable to originate calls until such number is registered before it is activated in the network. It also means that any number that is not registered or activated by the service provider would remain inactive in the network,” he informed telecom consumers at the NCC’s stand.

He urged consumers and members of the public to alert security agencies where they find anybody engaging in the sale, or use of pre-registered SIM cards, stressing that those found culpable of engaging in the business of pre-registered SIM cards risk severe penalties of fine and imprisonment.

“We have also sent serious warnings to the service providers to ensure that their dealers and sub-dealers, who have a role to play in the sale and activation of services, are not culpable in the perpetration of this crime. Ours Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Department are currently going round the country with a view to fishing out the perpetrators,” he added.