The Department of Telecommunications in India has issued a warning to mobile users to verify their linked SIMs and handset details amidst rising concerns over fraudulent issuance, IMEI tampering, and telecom identifier misuse, with penalties reaching up to ₹50 lakh and three years in prison.
The Department of Telecommunications has warned mobile users to keep a close eye on SIM cards issued in their name, saying fraudulent issuance, misuse of telecom identifiers and IMEI tampering can trigger penalties of up to three years in prison and fines of as much as ₹50 lakh under India’s Telecommunications Act, 2023. The warning has been issued as authorities step up pressure on users to check that every number linked to their identity is genuine and still under their control, according to reporting by Gadgets 360 and Mint.
The advisory follows a case in Chhattisgarh in which a point-of-sale agent allegedly activated 25 mobile connections using citizens’ identity documents without their consent. According to the reports, the agent was blacklisted, the suspicious numbers were sent for re-verification, and those that could not be properly verified were disconnected. The episode has sharpened official concern that a SIM card may be registered in one person’s name but used by someone else, sometimes without the original holder’s knowledge.
That is why the department is urging users to review the mobile connections linked to their identity on the government’s Sanchar Saathi portal or app. The platform allows people to see which numbers are registered in their name and flag lines they do not recognise or no longer need. Officials are also encouraging users to check handset details through the same system, including the IMEI, the unique identification number assigned to each mobile device.
The warning is not aimed at ordinary users who simply own and use a SIM in the normal way. Instead, the focus is on cases involving fraudulent SIM issuance, handing over a SIM for misuse, or altering telecom identifiers such as the IMEI or calling line identity, which is the number displayed to the person receiving a call. The department has also cautioned against devices or tools that can change those identifiers, including configurable SIM-box equipment and apps or websites designed to spoof telephone identity data.
For consumers, the practical advice is simple: check the numbers linked to your name, remove any connection you cannot account for, and avoid sharing a SIM if you do not know exactly how it will be used. The reports make clear that the ₹50 lakh figure is the maximum penalty under the law, not a routine fine for every problem. What the department is signalling is that SIM misuse, identity fraud and device tampering are now being treated as serious telecom offences rather than minor paperwork lapses.
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