Subscriber Identity Module widely known as a SIM card has gained popularity with the use of mobile technology. The mobile phone cannot work without inserting SIM card. In modern world, criminals are arrested by police on the basis of data they gather from mobile phone companies.
Location of any person can be located through SIM card. The call history is also significant evidence in tracing the accused in any case. The smart phones have increased the significance of SIM cards. Every popular social media application requires the compulsory condition of providing of mobile numbers.
It has now become impossible to prepare any account on social media without providing them the mobile number. The verification code is received on mobile phone and once received one has to insert it in order to use any social media application. Consider the example of Whatsapp which is now a days very popular in Pakistan. The number of users on Whatsapp is also increasing day by day. The user of Whatsapp has to provide mobile number in order to use it. Most of the crime has now been committed through internet technology.
The crime committed through internet is usually considered to be less risky. Computer related crimes are generally different from ordinary crimes. Absence from crime scene, fake profiles and use of latest technologies are few impediments in the way of tracing an accused involved in cyber crimes.
However every digital evidence is traceable. The field of digital forensics validates the aforementioned theory. There are different types of cyber crimes but the major category is financial crimes. They have gained popularity with the introduction of ATM machines, online banking, credit and debit Cards. The anonymity factor in commission of financial crimes made them less risky.
The most important tool used in the commission of financial crimes is illegitimate SIM Cards. The biometric verification of mobile phone SIMs was made mandatory by Pakistan government in 2014. Many of us still believe that after the hectic effort of biometric verification now no illegal SIM card can be issued from anywhere. The reality is totally different accused in financial crimes use unauthorized SIM cards that are not in the name of actual user. Now the question arises if somebody cannot get a SIM card without thumb verification then how could they get it?
The criminals find solution of every impediment by using modern techniques. The criminals are using a unique technique to forge thumb impressions. They claim themselves to be a representative of certain organization and trap innocent people to give their thumb impression on machines. Later on they use the data for issuance of SIM cards.
There is also a pressure on franchises of mobile phone companies to sell maximum SIM cards to customers so that profit could be augmented. This pressure somehow compels franchises to sell SIM cards without proper verification. The end result is that police in such cases usually detain innocent people in heinous crimes just on the allegation of SIM card was activated on their name.
The actual criminal never comes into the net of police due to illegal issuance of SIM Cards. Section 17 of the prevention of electronic crimes act 2016 has also declared unauthorized issuance of sim cards as an offence. This is the only legislation made in this regard so far however the same offence is bailable. Criminals call innocent people from fake SIM cards and ask them to provide their personal details.
Greed of lottery and cash price on phone calls help the criminals to collect personal information including Bank account Number, Passwords, CNIC etc from public. Once completing the crime through a SIM card they throw it and use new SIM cards for commission of new crime. Undeniably with very few exceptions generally people fall prey to the greed for money rather for insatiable lust compels a man to become easy victim of any such offer being made to him to mint money.
Before parting with this article i deem it my primary duty to convey to all my fellow citizens to keep their secrets close to heart, not to share any such confidential information with any irrelevant person, to avoid to be trapped for worldly lust and to sustain irreparable loss by depriving of their hard earned money to the unscrupulous elements.
