Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) MP Dederick Vries is concerned that, despite SIM card holders having registered their personal information with service providers, scammers continue to exploit mobile numbers to defraud citizens of their hard-earned money.

Vries questioned the Minister of Information and Communication Technology on how they collaborate with law enforcement to address the issue.

ICT Minister Emma Theofelus explained that SIM registration is crucial for preventing phone-based fraud, identity theft and other criminal activities. 

She, however, stated that scammers are now using SIM card swap fraud and are literally cloning the chip that is on a SIM card, which has become a global issue.

"We don't know how these devices enter the country, but they are here, like other crimes. No matter how many safeguards you put on your house, someone will still try to rob it. And that's exactly what we are experiencing, although we have a registered SIM."

Theofelus said that when police investigate and trace the SIM cards used, it registers to citizens who don't know about the scam.

She, however, said the percentage of suspected theft has definitely gone down.

"The harm that we should have experienced with the SIM cards not having registered would have been much worse. So what we are seeing now is really some loopholes in an otherwise good practice, a good policy of identifying who is behind a very powerful device such as a mobile device, but unfortunately that comes with that particular risk in that those of us who are not taking care of our personal data and personal information will fall victim to some of the scams."