The Communication Authority of the Maldives (CAM) has stated that the number of SIM cards issued to customers will be capped in May.
Statistics from the Maldives Police Service (MPS) show that numerous SIM cards are being used for scams after being registered to a few foreign nationals, with an average of 5,000 cards being registered to a foreigner who is no longer living in the country.
The Parliamentary Committee on State-Owned Enterprises held a meeting with CAM to discuss the prevalence of scams using technology. During the meeting, the Chief Executive of CAM Ilyas Ahmed said a limit will be placed on the number of SIM cards one customer can register, which will significantly decrease the number of registered SIM cards.
Also at the meeting, Minister of State for Environment, Climate Change, and Technology Mohamed Shareef said the process of issuing SIM cards will be placed under the digital identification card (ID) system next quarter, adding that telecommunication providers Dhiraagu and Ooredoo Maldives are now in the testing phase. He also said that the digital identification (ID) system aims to end the reliance on one-time passwords (OTPs), thereby strengthening cyber security, as the digital ID system uses three-factor authentication.
A recent report submitted to the committee revealed that the MPS has found 62,000 SIM cards registered under the names of 14 foreigners. It also states that 305 mobile phone numbers were used by prisoners in Maafushi Prison to operate scams.