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The UK government has today confirmed its intent to ban SIM Farms (both possession and supply) some 6 months after the new Crime and Policing Bill (CPB) receives Royal Assent. The move is designed to better protect the public from fraudsters and scammers who also use the devices for criminal purposes (e.g. sending scam/spam messages and calls to mobile users).
Just for some context. SIM farms are electronic devices that are capable of using five or more SIM cards simultaneously or interchangeably, and which allows the user to send Short Messaging Service (SMS) texts or phone calls in large numbers over the telecommunications (mobile) network. Such “farms” can have legitimate uses too, but they’re frequently used by criminals engaged in fraud (e.g. sending phishing scam/messages that are designed to steal personal or financial data).
The plan was actually first proposed as part of the previous government’s Criminal Justice Bill (CJB), although this was disrupted by the 2024 General Election and the same measure now comes under the CPB. The previous CJB also included other new powers, such as one that can force Regional Internet Registries, Local Internet Registries or even broadband ISPs to suspend internet domain names and IP addresses used for criminal purposes.
Fraud Minister, Lord Hanson, said:
“Fraud devastates lives, and I am determined to take the decisive action necessary to protect the public from these shameful criminals.
Two-thirds of British adults say they’ve received a suspicious message on their phone – equivalent to more than 35 million people – which is why cracking down on SIM farms is so vital to protecting the public.
This marks a leap forward in our fight against fraud and will provide law enforcement and industry partners the clarity they need to protect the public from this shameful crime. This government will continue to take robust action to protect the public from fraud and deliver security and resilience through the Plan for Change.”
The new offence will make the possession or supply of SIM farms without a legitimate reason illegal and carries an “unlimited fine” in England and Wales, albeit oddly falling to a £5,000 fine in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The move should complement action being taken by Ofcom, which has long been working with broadband, phone and mobile operators to tackle both domestic and international sources of spam and scam calls/texts. But delivering effective enforcement of such activity may be much harder, particularly when it occurs outside the UK.