New TRAI regulations for SIM swap to curb fraudulent activities

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has noticed a significant increase in SIM swap fraud cases across the country.

In response, TRAI has amended its regulations concerning SIM porting, also known as Mobile Number Portability (MNP).

These amendments are designed to combat and prevent fraudulent activities related to SIM swaps.

Effective from July 1, TRAI's new regulations require users to wait for a period of seven days after a SIM swap or replacement before they become eligible to port their number from one network to another.

This delay is intended to minimise the risk of fraudulent SIM swaps and protect users from unauthorized porting of their mobile numbers.

The decision to introduce these regulations stems from concerns raised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

The DoT highlighted instances where mobile connections were fraudulently ported out due to fraudulent SIM swaps or replacements.

Press Release No. 13/2024 regarding TRAI Releases Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability (Ninth amendment) Regulations, 2024https://t.co/Gd7jWT6Upq

— TRAI (@TRAI) March 15, 2024

As a result, TRAI has taken proactive measures to address these issues and safeguard the interests of mobile phone users in India.

It is important to note that these regulations will take effect on July 1, 2024.

During the seven-day waiting period to activate a new SIM card, users won't be able to port their number to another network.

However, there is good news for users looking to upgrade their SIM cards from 3G to 4G/5G.

The new regulations do not impose any restrictions on porting in such cases, allowing users to seamlessly switch to higher-speed networks without delays or waiting periods.