Be cautious while providing fingerprints for new SIM or other services: PTA

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) warns citizens of Pakistan to be cautious when getting a new SIM for free and other related services as the fingerprint crime is increasing day by day. One should be watchful when someone asks for the fingerprints for new SIM and face scans when u are seeking telecom services. This is one of the great fraud these days.

These days many people on road side are deceiving people and selling the free SIMS and offer welfare charity schemes for free and require just the finger prints of the person. These fingerprints can be used in unauthenticated activities and person’s personal data can get leaked. With the help of these fingerprints and thumb prints, people can commit fraud by getting access to others’ identity card and important information. With this data, the person can be blackmailed or even severe crime of kidnaping is committed. The mobile phone numbers are retrieved and then fake SMS are sent on regular messenger or WhatsApp to get more information and money from the innocent person.

Whenever a person submits his finger prints, he must keep these details with him if anything wrong happens in the future.

• Name of the mobile phone company whose sales office you have visited
• Name of the sale’s channel
• Address of the sale’s channel
• The reason for which fingerprints have been taken

In case of any fraud, this information can be useful in the investigation of the culprit.

If a SIM holder wants to check the number of issued SIMS on his name, he can either SMS his ID card number without any spaces on 668 or can give his ID card number on the website www.cnic.sims.pk.

If user finds anything wrong in the data of the SIM, he must call mobile network company’s service center to solve the user’s problem. If the complaints are not addressed by the mobile service company, the user can send the complaint to PTA on the link https://complaint.pta.gov.pk/RegisterComplaint.aspx or can also report on PTA CMS mobile app.

PTA has brought awareness in people of Pakistan to protect themselves from such cleaver people are spread all around Pakistan who are earning from peoples’ innocence.

Also Read: PTA Starts Receiving Applications for IoT Licenses – Here is How to Apply – PhoneWorld