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Authorities have initiated action to bring major changes to the SIM sale policies to prevent the use of unlisted phone numbers for scam calls.

There have been a number of cases of scam calls obtaining a large amount of money from individuals. According to police, money lost to scam calls amounts to MVR 4 million.

Inspector Yoosuf Luth from Cybercrime Department told Atoll Times that the biggest obstacle to identifying scam callers is that the numbers they use are registered in the name of different people. He also said that sometimes unregistered or unlisted numbers were used.

He also noted that phone numbers registered in the name of expatriate workers were commonly used by scammers. 

Luth said:

  • Foreigners cannot be identified unless they are in Maldives 

  • If an unlisted or unregistered number is suspected of a scam call, it will now be blocked within 24 hours

  • Policies must be formulated to cap the number of SIMs an individual can get to hold the owner of the SIM accountable.

  • More effective policies needed in selling SIMs to expatriates

"We are in talks with operators and CAM to make SIM sales and owners accountable. We have now agreed to a certain number of measures," Luth said.

He said scam callers have now started changing their tactics. Luth said efforts are underway to hack emails and withdraw money from internet banking by sending phishing links through the message instead of obtaining information by contacting them.

Noting that these are organised crimes, he said that care should be taken not to access suspicious links.

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