Group warns gov't against amending SIM registration law

An advocacy group championing consumer rights has cautioned the government against amending the SIM registration law, saying that the proposal to limit SIM ownership will mean nothing if law enforcement remains weak and incapable of going after fraudsters.

"The impact of regulating the number of SIMs one can register will just be an inconvenience to fraudster," said CitizenWatch convenor Orlando Oxales. "It is so easy to bypass such restrictions because there are many ways scammers can gain other 'unique' identities." Oxales said that such fraudsters do not usually act on their own but are usually part of a group of organized cybercriminals who resort to identity theft and other sophisticated tactics to pursue their aim.

"What we really need is an enforcement system that goes after scammers, not more laws to burden consumers with," he said.