Thread: Security lapse on the side of Telecom operators..

Well a recent comment from Essbebe has given me this idea of posting about the well known security lapse in issuing new connections by our dear telecom operators..

When someone goes to the mobile stores for a new connection what they need to verify is your id proof,.. that could be your ration card, your voter id or passport or something that approves your current address. They ask you for your copy of photo. They give you a connection in mere 24 hours. how?? do they follow the procedures?? rechecks??

the answer is yes they do recheck your ids later on but most of the times they dont even care about that..
now the another point i raise here is, your submitted documents and your photo.. are both the things safe in the hands of the sim stall?
No..

its because when you have given your id and your photo, you hand over to a person who is either from the co. or a shop (dealer).. and most of the times they take your documents and photo and keep it with them for a time of atleast 10 hours, what will happen to your docs then??

it can be a sure possibility that the sim provider person, will give your doc(photo copy ) and photo (scanning ) and issue numerous other sim cards to other account holders. though some major providers apply the rechecking process or when they feel that documents submitted are not in proper condition to approve, but new players are interested only in making new number of customers as per their "take and talk" policy.. causing a major drawback to the national and your personal security..


Companies need to apply this idea:..

when a person gives his documents and photograph, he must be issued a reciept with the following details..

1. Name of the person submitting the records.. (by individual or on designation)
2. Time and date, sim id no. & number of connections taken on number of documents submitted.
3. Name, signature, address of dealer providing the connection and id of the person providing the sim card(because mostly these guys are on part time job).
4. Approval by the person dealing that no more than "N" number of connections has been taken by the respective person..

Thanks..

I agree. Our address proof is certainly in the hands of the dealer and if he is in some ways inclined to say terrorists, they may misuse it and give us a head ache when authorities find out. But we can convince them easily because police knows such people always use fake credentials to get a connection. But it is still a risk we take.

Once we get some online facility to apply, such risks can be sidelined. Just like unique identification project in pipeline.

Originally Posted by meetdilip

I agree. Our address proof is certainly in the hands of the dealer and if he is in some ways inclined to say terrorists, they may misuse it and give us a head ache when authorities find out. But we can convince them easily because police knows such people always use fake credentials to get a connection. But it is still a risk we take.

Once we get some online facility to apply, such risks can be sidelined. Just like unique identification project in pipeline.

Cases have happened when some romeos called some babe using someone's id connection and the wrong guy got headache..

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i just wrote an email to TRAI with my ideas.. lets see if they take steps on it..

last time i wrote them to change their email id they changed...

There should be a clause that if the ID proof were misused, the dealer should be held responsible for the issue as his carelessness is causing all the trouble.

There should be a clause that if the ID proof were misused, the dealer should be held responsible for the issue as his carelessness is causing all the trouble.

You were sitting in India while typing those words
And if misused you will have to type or write a few more
And you will still be in India..

I have seen pre paid sims sold for Rs 0 /10/20 from cycles ,temp table or just in the pavement.
1. in front of colleges
2.near bus stand /railway station.
Give photo,id copy and sign. and instantly activated.

Even though most people use up the Rs 30/48/62 talk time and throw it away with in one week-some dealers are mis using by applying few extra sim's with your id proof(they might scan a additional photo + forge extra signature in another application) and activate and sell in black market.

In chennai - In Burma Bazar -you can buy sim with out any proof for a premium usually rs 150-300 !
sad indeed.

Reason: Voice market-post paid - 20 % pre paid- 80 %

All operators are sacrificing their "recharge coupon " revenue by offering "50 to 100 min talk time " to new pre paid subscribers.

Just want to mainatin their stock prices with reporting " so many million new subcribers activated"
They dont report how many old subscribers no longer active!

signatures are not taken in the places i had been...

can someone throw some light on a sim company called Matrix??

how does it work when it provides international sim cards to individuals..
does it take passport proof? and does it gives one sim to one individual for prevention from black marketting??

such sim cards can be serious threat to the nation.. because its like using a proxy..