The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has warned the public against fraudulent calls threatening SIM card suspension, which are also used in unlawful activities such as illegal recruitment for work abroad, online casino and human trafficking.
CICC executive director Alexander K. Ramos said his office has received complaints of anonymous callers introducing themselves as an employee of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and has even identified herself as Nikki Garcia in one case.
The fake DICT employee would tell the victim that his/her SIM has been recommended for suspension for various violations.
“We once again appeal to the public to ignore calls from suspicious and anonymous callers,“ Ramos said .
“Please be alert at all times and do not be deceived by people who pretend to be from the DICT or from any other government agency,” he added.
The registration of SIM or subscriber Identity module is mandatory under Republic Act 11934 enacted in October 2022 and took effect the following December.
As of July 30, 2023 or the final day of the five-day grace period, the number of SIMs registered aggregated 113,969,014 of the total 168,016,400 SIM cards in circulation.
Ramos reiterated his appeal to report cybercrime incidents to the Inter Agency Response Center Hotline 1326 to prevent cybercrime.
“By reporting to authorities, you are also helping other people by preventing them from becoming future victims,” he said.
