Police warn of SIM cards registered with stolen identities

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, Bright Edafe. Photo: File

The Delta State Police Command has raised the alarm over the alleged fraudulent registration of SIM cards using unsuspecting Nigerians’ personal information, warning that victims could face criminal investigations and legal consequences for offences committed with such phone numbers.

The command urged members of the public to visit official offices of telecommunications service providers to check all phone numbers linked to their National Identification Numbers (NIN) and request the removal of unfamiliar lines.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police Edafe Bright, gave the warning in a security advisory on X on Friday alleging that some operators of small telecommunications outlets deceive customers during SIM registration.

According to him, some agents collect customers’ personal details under the pretext of registering their SIM cards but secretly use the information to register different numbers, which could later be sold to individuals involved in criminal activities.

He explained that unsuspecting customers might provide sensitive information, including their names and other personal details, without knowing that the agents are registering another SIM card with their identities.

Bright said, “You can just go and say I want to register an MTN SIM card. They will tell you, okay, what’s your name? What’s your mother’s maiden name? What’s this? What’s that? And eventually, you will not even know that they are not registering your SIM card but they are registering another SIM card entirely.”

He added that after completing the fraudulent registration, the agents might tell customers that the network was poor and advise them to visit another outlet.

The police spokesman warned that the SIM cards could subsequently be sold to fraudsters and other criminals, exposing the identities of unsuspecting Nigerians to possible criminal investigations.

“Whatever offence they commit with that SIM card, then your NIN, your name and your other very important details, it becomes almost your responsibility and it will be difficult to prove that it was not you who committed that particular offence,” he cautioned.

Bright disclosed that the command was investigating a related matter but declined to provide further details because the investigation was ongoing.

He advised Nigerians to visit the official offices of MTN, Globacom and other telecommunications service providers to obtain details of all phone numbers registered against their NINs.

“My brother and my sister, any number that you find there that you know you are not using, please ask them to delist it. That’s the most important advice,” he warned.

He stressed that the exercise was necessary even for individuals who had registered their SIM cards through official telecommunications offices, noting that they might have other phone numbers unknowingly linked to their identities.

Bright further warned that criminals could exploit such numbers to perpetrate financial fraud, kidnapping and ransom-related offences.

“If they use your number to defraud somebody of 20, 30, 40 million, my brother, my sister, it will be difficult for you to say you are not aware. If they use your number to collect ransom money, if they use your number to kidnap somebody, if they use your number to call for ransom money, it will be very difficult to say you are not aware,” he warned.

The police spokesman urged residents to protect their personal information and ensure that every phone number registered against their NIN was known to them.

He also reminded Nigerians that ignorance of the law was not an excuse, urging them to take proactive steps to prevent criminals from exploiting their identities.

The Delta State Police Command reiterated the importance of vigilance when dealing with SIM registration agents and advised subscribers to use official telecommunications service centres for registration and verification.