Police Alert on SIM Cards Registered with Stolen Identities

The Delta State Police Command has raised an alarm about the fraudulent registration of SIM cards using the personal information of unsuspecting Nigerians. They warned that victims might face criminal investigations and legal issues for crimes linked to these phone numbers.

The police urged everyone to visit official offices of telecom companies to check all phone numbers connected to their National Identification Numbers (NIN). They should also ask for the removal of any unfamiliar numbers.

Superintendent of Police Edafe Bright, the state Police Public Relations Officer, shared this warning on X in a security advisory on Friday. He claimed that some small telecom operators trick customers during SIM registration.

He explained that some agents gather personal details from customers under the guise of registering their SIM cards. Instead, they use this information to register different numbers that might be sold to criminals.

Victims might unknowingly share sensitive information like their names and personal details while thinking they are registering their own SIM cards. 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.”

After the deceptive registration, agents may tell customers about poor network service and recommend they visit another outlet. The police spokesman warned that these SIM cards could be sold to fraudsters, putting the identities of innocent Nigerians at risk of 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 mentioned that the police were looking into a related case but did not give more details since the investigation is still ongoing. He advised Nigerians to check with the official offices of MTN, Globacom, and other telecom providers to find out all phone numbers linked to 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 emphasized that this check is important even for those who registered their SIM cards at official telecom offices. They might have other numbers connected to their identities without knowing it. Bright also cautioned that criminals could use these numbers for financial fraud, kidnapping, and ransom-related crimes.

“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 guard their personal information and ensure they know every number registered against their NIN. He reminded Nigerians that ignorance of the law is no excuse, urging them to take action to stop criminals from using their identities.

The Delta State Police Command stressed the need for caution when dealing with SIM registration agents and advised everyone to use official telecom service centers for registration and verification.