21 People Arrested for Registering ‘Ghost’ SIM Cards for People Who Want to Remain Anonymous

Most times, people who want to remain anonymous while using their phones are bad people.

Which is why in Singapore, when you register for a SIM card, no matter whether prepaid or postpaid, personal information needs to be given.

But what if you don’t want your personal information out there?

ProfessionalHider45: Look for us! We can keep you anonymous while you talk on the phone like normal people!

SPFnsf45: Well, nice try. Freeze! You’re under arrest!

Yes, that’s typically what happens when the Singapore Police Force noticed you trying to help people stay anonymous: You get arrested.

21 People Arrested for Registering ‘Ghost’ SIM Cards for People Who Want to Remain Anonymous

On 16 Aug 2020, while the rest of us are enjoying our day off with our families and friends, police officers from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) conducted a four-hour island-wide operation targeting 16 cellphone shops located Ang Mo Kio, Changi, City Hall, Little India, Orchard, Ubi and Woodlands.

All 16 shops were raided at the same time and SPF walked away with a huge jackpot.

In total, 21 people were arrested.

Eight of them, 7 men and 1 woman, were suspected of using other customers’ details to register SIM cards for foreigners who aren’t even in Singapore yet.

Another 13, nine men and four women, are assisting with the investigation.

During the raid, the SPF didn’t just walk away with 21 suspects.

They had also obtained terminal devices, desktops, laptops, printers, cellphones, invoices and photocopied passports, and more.

If found guilty, they could be charged under the Computer Misuse Act and be fined up to $10,000, jailed up to three months, or both.

What They Did:

The shops made use of the system for prepaid numbers which they are connected to.

They will take other customers’ details and register for a prepaid SIM (each Singaporean can hold up to four lines at any time).

Then, whenever someone comes along wanting a ‘ghost SIM’ (untraceable line), they’ll sell one of these cards to them.

Who Uses These SIM Cards

Remember, at the beginning, it was explained that people who want to remain hidden typically do bad stuff?

Well, the SPF pointed out that scam syndicates would be interested in having such ghost SIMs.

They use these SIM cards to contact victims as well as communicate among themselves so that they can remain hidden.

Moral of the story? Do bad things, you’ll definitely be caught.