The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has cautioned mobile users against fraudulent SIM issuance, misuse of telecom identifiers and tampering with IMEI numbers, warning that specified offences under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 can attract imprisonment of up to three years, a fine of up to ₹50 lakh, or both.
The warning is particularly relevant for people whose identity documents may have been used to obtain mobile connections without their knowledge. DoT has advised subscribers to regularly check the mobile connections registered in their names and report numbers they do not recognise or no longer require.
The government’s Sanchar Saathi platform provides a facility to check mobile connections issued in a person’s name and report fraudulent or unnecessary connections. The platform also provides services to check the genuineness of a mobile handset and its IMEI.
📱 Do Not Lend or Transfer Your SIM
DoT has also cautioned users against allowing SIM cards issued in their names to be used for unlawful purposes. The Telecommunications Act specifically covers obtaining subscriber identity modules through fraud, cheating or impersonation and tampering with telecommunications identification.
Therefore, users should avoid casually transferring, selling, renting or handing over SIM cards registered in their names to other people, particularly when they do not know how the connection will be used.
📱 IMEI and Telecom Identifier Tampering
The advisory also covers IMEI and other telecom identifier tampering. DoT has previously stated that applications or tools enabling the alteration of identifiers such as CLI, IP address or IMEI can facilitate offences under the Telecommunications Act.
The Sanchar Saathi/CEIR system allows users to check the genuineness of a mobile handset. Users can also verify an IMEI by sending KYM <15-digit IMEI> to 14422.
🔎 How to Check SIMs Registered in Your Name
Users can visit the government’s Sanchar Saathi platform and use the facility to check the mobile connections registered against their identity.
If an unfamiliar number appears, users can report it through the platform and take the appropriate action.
Importantly, the ₹50 lakh fine and three-year imprisonment are maximum penalties associated with specified offences under the law. They do not mean that every person whose SIM is used by someone else will automatically face a ₹50 lakh fine or imprisonment.
