PUBLISHED ONSeptember 14, 2026 12:00 AMBYSean LerA total of eight individuals, aged between 17 and 26, will be charged in court between Sept 14 and 18 for allegedly providing fraudulently registered SIM cards in return for money.
The seven men and one woman purportedly received between $10 and $15 for each registered SIM card.
Police said in a news release on Sunday (Sept 13) that the suspects had handed over multiple SIM cards, registered under their names, to a criminal syndicate.
They were allegedly instructed to sign up and purchase SIM cards in bulk across different retailers before handing them over to their couriers.
Those convicted of knowingly providing a registered SIM card to another person to facilitate a crime for any gain will face a fine of up to $10,000 and/or a jail term of up to three years.
The police said they take a serious view of SIM cards being misused as a conduit for crimes and will not hesitate to take action against individuals who misuse their eSIM/SIM card via reselling, allowing others to use their SIM cards, helping other individuals to register or holding multiple SIM cards without a legitimate reason.
They added that criminal syndicates have been exploiting local SIM cards and eSIMs as a channel of communication for scams, unlicensed moneylending and vice, among other illicit activities.
"Anyone found to be linked to such crimes will be held accountable," the police warned.
Scammers and members or recruiters of scam syndicates also face mandatory caning of at least six strokes if convicted. Those who enable scammers by laundering scam proceeds face discretionary caning.
Those involved in mule-related offences may also face restrictions on banking services and mobile line subscriptions.
Members of the public who have information on anyone involved in the fraudulent registration of SIM cards can call the police hotline on 1800-255-000. They may also submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness.
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