New Rule Implemented by Indian Government to Prevent SIM Swap Fraud Attacks
SIM swapping scams have become a menace in recent times and the Telecom Authority of India is all set to tackle this problem by changing the rules to help you port mobile numbers. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recently issued a decision related to Mobile Number Portability (MNP) rules for mobile phone subscribers.
SIM swap fraud allows a hacker to clone your SIM card and use it to make bank payments and steal money without alerting the person. MNP is basically a process that allows you to switch from Airtel to Jio or vice versa based on your preference and the telcos have a short window to switch.
New MNP Rule from TRAI for Mobile Users in India: What it Says
The entire focus of TRAI is to ensure that any SIM card duplication within 7 days is reported as a red flag. So, if a person has acquired a new physical SIM card for some reason, TRAI’s new rule will ensure that that person cannot port to another operator for seven days.
It seems that the telecommunications authority has noticed that some of the SIM card switching frauds involve the porting of phone numbers, which makes it difficult for law enforcement authorities to track down the culprit. More importantly, some SIM swap attacks usually start with a call to customer service asking them to arrange a new SIM card because their existing card was stolen or damaged over time.
The TRAI rule applies only if you have purchased a new SIM card from the telco, and if you haven’t, the normal MNP process will follow and transfer you to another telecom operator of your choice.
