Four held for real name SIM fiddle

A mastermind and three of his top aides were arrested after police smashed a phone scam syndicate which registered 7,000 phone cards with fake Hong Kong identity cards, the first case after authorities launched real-name registration for mobile SIM cards in February.

Superintendent Wilson Tam Wai-shun said the force received intelligence this month that a criminal syndicate was suspected of using false identification documents for real name registration of phone cards.

Tam said the criminals had bought a large number of SIM cards since last March.

"They connected them to online intermediary platforms through modem pools and computers, to offer one-time password receiving service to help others set up social media, including Facebook and WhatsApp, accounts," he said.

The suspects had registered at least 7,387 SIM cards with fake HKID card information. The syndicate could make a profit of HK$10 to HK$20 from each SIM card by providing the service.

New social media accounts were used by fraudulent syndicates for online scamming.

Police investigation revealed that at least three online shopping fraud cases in Yuen Long, Chai Wan and Cheung Sha Wan were related to these phone numbers, with a total loss of HK$16,396.

Three jobless men - Wong, 28, Poon, 26, and Fung, 24 - and a 35-year-old female Indonesian helper were arrested on Saturday on suspicion of using false documents and obtaining property by deception in Cheung Sha Wan and Sau Mau Ping.

At least two men were responsible for purchasing SIM cards, Tam said.

Police also seized 95 modem pools, 29 computers, seven phones, one router and 65,000 SIM cards.

Channels to obtain a large number of phone cards and equipment were also being investigated.

"The criminal group had been dismantled and the arrest operation effectively prevented further similar crimes from occurring in Hong Kong," said chief inspector Benjamin Tai Tze-bun.

Further arrests might be made.

The real-name registration for phone cards has been fully implemented since February 24, and all unregistered phone cards were deactivated on that day.

Senior inspector Chu Yuen-tim said that personal users are allowed to register up to 10 SIM cards with each telecoms operator, while corporate users are allowed up to 25 SIM cards.