A soldier from the Indian Army lost ₹2,87,630 from his State Bank of India (SBI) savings account due to a “SIM swap fraud.” This happened when Airtel, his mobile service provider, issued a duplicate SIM card to a fraudster without properly verifying the documents. The fraudster then used this duplicate SIM to withdraw money from the soldier’s bank account.
At the time, the soldier was posted in Jammu and Kashmir and was unaware of the fraud because there was no mobile signal in the area. When he finally got a signal, he found out that someone had fraudulently obtained a duplicate SIM card with his Airtel number and used it to withdraw money through apps like Paytm, Airtel Money, Snapdeal, and M Paisa.
The soldier immediately filed a complaint with Airtel, but they refused to refund the stolen money. He then took the case to the Almora District Forum in Uttarakhand.
After investigating, the Almora District Forum found that Airtel had issued the duplicate SIM card without properly verifying the documents, which allowed the fraudster to access the soldier’s bank account. The forum ordered Airtel to pay the soldier the amount that was stolen, along with compensation and legal costs. However, Airtel challenged the order in higher courts, including the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), which upheld the original decision and ordered Airtel to pay about ₹4.83 lakh to the soldier.
How the Fraud Occurred
According to the NCDRC, a fraudster got a duplicate Airtel SIM card with the same number as the soldier’s. The soldier’s original SIM was linked to various online payment apps. Once the duplicate SIM was activated, the fraudster used it to withdraw money from the soldier’s SBI account over several days in May 2017. The soldier, being in a remote area with no mobile signal, did not know about the withdrawals until it was too late.
The investigation revealed that Airtel failed to properly verify the identity of the person requesting the duplicate SIM card. The documents presented for the duplicate SIM did not match the soldier’s original documents on file with Airtel. This failure allowed the fraudster to access the soldier’s bank account.
Court Orders Airtel to Compensate
The Almora District Forum originally ordered Airtel to pay ₹2,87,630 with 4% interest from July 2017, ₹1,00,000 in compensation, and ₹15,000 in legal costs. Airtel appealed, but the NCDRC rejected their arguments and upheld the order, stating that Airtel was responsible for not properly verifying the identity of the person who requested the duplicate SIM.
Protecting Yourself from SIM Swap Fraud
To protect yourself from SIM swap fraud, it’s important to be aware of phishing attempts, social engineering, and data breaches. Fraudsters often use these methods to collect personal information like names, addresses, and phone numbers to make their attacks more convincing.
Indian mobile carriers have implemented security measures, such as APIs that allow banks to check if a SIM has been recently swapped. The Indian government has also enforced policies like delaying SMS activation for 24 hours after a SIM swap and restricting the allocation of porting codes for seven days after a SIM swap. These measures are designed to prevent unauthorized access to your accounts.
By staying informed and vigilant, you can help protect yourself from becoming a victim of SIM swap fraud.
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