Mumbai: The CBI has come across a modus operandi in issuance of SIM cards used for illegal activities involving digital arrest, impersonation, investment frauds and UPI frauds. Agency sources said Point of Sale (PoS) agents of telecom operators are working in connivance with cybercrime criminals and unknown executives of telecom service providers (TSPs), issuing ghost SIMs (in the names of other persons without their knowledge).

Earlier this month, the CBI had conducted searches at the premises of 38 PoS agents across multiple states, including Mumbai. A CBI official said complaints in 2024 on the National Crime Reporting Portal were analysed and it was found that nearly 1,100 SIMs, issued by 39 PoS agents, were used in various crimes. Further, nearly 2,200 complaints were found on the portal against these 1,100 SIMs.

Detailing the modus, the official said that when customers visit the PoS, the agent informs the customer that the eKYC has failed and asks for another one. However, the agent issues a SIM card during both the eKYC processes, without the customer knowing. The agent then sells the ghost SIM to cyber criminals, which is used for opening mule bank accounts and for making fraudulent calls.