Palghar: Three booked for stealing people’s data to activate SIM cards

Two agents of a telecom service provider business and a shop owner in Maharashtra's Palghar district have been charged with collecting data from consumers and using it to activate SIM cards.

Based on a complaint lodged by an official from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), the Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar (MBVV) police registered a case under sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code against the trio, an official said.

Ministry of Telecommunication has under taken a drive to crackdown on shops selling SIM cards based on fake/fabricated documents, police said. As part of the drive, the ministry obtained details of the shop in Tulinj, which was raided by the ATS team on Friday and a case was registered against the accused.

According to the police, the shop owner from Nala Sopara allegedly connived with two agents of a telecom service provider and fabricated details on 84 SIM cards. The accused stole data, including Aadhaar card details, from customers who came to his shop and used it to activate these SIM cards, the official said.