A licensed telecom Point of Sale agent named Shivam was apprehended for unlawfully activating SIM cards without adhering to ‘Know Your Customer’ regulations, as disclosed by a Delhi Police official. Shivam, operating under the banner “Shivam Telecom” from a makeshift roadside booth, confessed to illicitly activating SIM cards using genuine customers’ information and selling them for Rs 500–600 each without proper KYC compliance.
The accused was found with incriminating digital records and activation documents matching blacklisted SIM profiles. Shivam, a resident of Baljeet Nagar with ties to Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar, had a prior involvement documented in an FIR at Paschim Vihar Police Station. Investigations unveiled that Shivam breached KYC norms and biometric verification protocols while running the licensed telecom Point of Sale, leading to the activation of illegally obtained SIM cards.
These SIM cards, activated through unauthorized means, were exploited by cybercriminals for various illicit activities such as contacting victims, executing financial scams, setting up digital payment accounts, and concealing their identities during cyber offenses. The case surfaced during intelligence scrutiny of PoS agents in Delhi, where SIM cards activated by agents like Shivam were linked to cyber fraud incidents nationwide.
Preliminary inquiries indicated that innocent individuals’ names were used to activate SIM cards, which were then distributed to cyber fraud syndicates locally and across state borders.
