71 Bengaluru SIM Stores Under Scanner for Aiding Cybercriminals

The complaint, sent via email to the city police commissioner, alleges that these Points of Sale (PoS) misused subscriber information—violating telecom regulations and committing a breach of trust. These stores, spread across Bengaluru, are among 289 across Karnataka flagged for selling over 25 SIM cards each, a pattern linked to cybercrime activity.

While telecom service providers were expected to report such violations, the DoT stepped in after their inaction. The DoT’s Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) helped trace SIM cards used in scams, providing critical leads for investigators.

DIP is a secure data-sharing platform that connects law enforcement, banks, SEBI, CBDT, TSPs, and even social media firms. Insights from central agencies such as the GST Directorate, CBI, and WhatsApp have also helped in tracking telecom resource misuse.

The Bengaluru police’s Central Crime Branch (CCB) has begun a preliminary probe, led by Inspector Santosh Ram R. Although no raids have taken place yet, early evidence suggests these stores breached DoT licence terms.

Officials caution that the 71 stores are currently under suspicion, with investigations expected to take a few weeks before any definitive action is taken.

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