The National Privacy Commission (NPC) reminded Filipinos against selling their registered SIM cards to other people.
The NPC said the SIM Registration Act requires individuals to update the personal information about the SIM user as registered with telco companies, and failure to do so will fetch penalties of up to a six-year jail sentence and a fine as much as P300,000.
“Recent developments have drawn our attention to alarming instances wherein certain individuals, ostensibly acting as agents of malevolent entities, are enticing unsuspecting individuals with monetary offers (averaging Php1,000.00) in exchange for SIM cards that have been registered,” the NPC said in an advisory.
“This practice is not only prohibited under the SIM Registration Act (RA No. 11934) but it also places data subjects in a vulnerable position, exposing them to potential legal repercussions, risks and harms if a SIM card, registered in their name, is misused for illicit activities,” it added.
Those who give their registered mobile numbers for someone else’s use should update their records with their telecommunications provider, or else face penalties.
