Is your cellphone SIM registered?

[rpm]

Is your cellphone SIM registered?

Anyone who bought a cellphone SIM card yesterday and was not asked to present their credentials was involved in a criminal act

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Anyone who bought a cellphone SIM card yesterday and was not asked to present their credentials was involved in a criminal act

 

[smokey]

Anyone planning to use a cellphone to plot a heist was no doubt capable of producing fraudulent identification.

Exactly!

 

[medicnick83]

I am on contract, I don't need to worry about this.

 

[Thestealth]

I am on contract, I don't need to worry about this.

I saw a circular earlier stating that even contract subs need to register. Don't know why though, they have our details...:erm:

 

[davemc]

The reason for the rigmarole is to make it harder for criminals to buy SIM cards — the theory being that if a call is linked to a crime, the police can see who bought the SIM card and make an arrest.

R815 = the price of a 2 way radio with roughly 3km range.

This week MTN claimed to be positively eager to toe the line. “MTN is looking forward to the implementation of Rica, particularly that it would deal with the issue of stolen cellphones, which consumers have been raising,” said executive Zolisa Masiza.

No, the sim card is registered, not the phone. Liars!

I really suspect that the SMS spam world is getting a massive boost from this.

I DEMAND THE RIGHT TO NOT HAVE TO PUT MY CELL PHONE NUMBER ON THAT FORM.
It is not required.

 

[Veroland]

I am on contract, I don't need to worry about this.

So am I and I need to go pick up my wife's new phone today and was told I need to identify myself in accordance with the RICA regulations, ID and proof of residence.

 

[gregmcc]

You can help to make SA a safer place

I highly doubt its going to make any difference!

 

[Lazy]

No, the sim card is registered, not the phone. Liars!

When your phone connects to the network, your cellphone's details (IMEI etc) is 'detected' by the network and thus can tie the physical phone to your sim card.

So it stands to reason that if they know who the sim card belongs to they have at least someone they can point a finger too when a stolen phone is used. Or when they are investigating suspects to a crime, or etc etc...

There are quite a few assumptions being made, but some effort is much better than no effort at all.

 

[Fuzzbox]

look at the gun owners fiasco.
Of the 2.2 million people only 700k applied for updated licenses.
To date approx 400 k have been processed in about 4,5 years
that means it will take about 25 years to process all the applications.
There are probably 100 million sim cards out there.Do the maths

 

[shadowfox]

Now if only they'll stop giving you a damn SIM everytime you go and get a cellphone ... I've got a whole collection of SIMS at home already.

 

[davemc]

When your phone connects to the network, your cellphone's details (IMEI etc) is 'detected' by the network and thus can tie the physical phone to your sim card.

So it stands to reason that if they know who the sim card belongs to they have at least someone they can point a finger too when a stolen phone is used. Or when they are investigating suspects to a crime, or etc etc...

There are quite a few assumptions being made, but some effort is much better than no effort at all.

This is already available to the operators.
Their existing failure to act on the information they already have is not going to be solved by throwing more information at the problem.

 

[Park@82]

Say some people have a prepaid sim card in a 3g modem how are these people supposed to know that they need to register it?

 

[justplain]

this so isnt going to work.tell me, if you have a prepaid sim...and the cellular providers dont have your details...and your phone gets stolen....tell me exactly how they are going to track you down and fine/arrest you for not having registered your sim in the first place?....it's totally backwards.

 

[Blaze786]

Won't be registering, have 18 months with my phones than will sell them all and cancel my contract.

 

[davemc]

Blaze, the contract will be null and void if you don't RICA your sims.
No company can force you to pay for an something that's illegal.

 

[Blaze786]

Blaze, the contract will be null and void if you don't RICA your sims.
No company can force you to pay for an something that's illegal.

Awesome saves me paying cancellation fee's Wo0T!

Bit of a shlep this but I can survive on landlines and interwebs,

 

[davemc]

You'll have to hand your contract provided phones back.

 

[Lazy]

This is already available to the operators.
Their existing failure to act on the information they already have is not going to be solved by throwing more information at the problem.

I'm not sure I understand your point.

Say I buy a phone in Zimbabwe and I come use it in SA, how will Vodacom or MTN know who I am based on my phone?
With this, to use it here they either have to be a roaming customer or use a sim card that was issued locally. IF the locally issued sim card was a prepaid, then there will be someone who used their proof of identity to buy it. Thus, there will be someone to tie to the account, be it directly or indirectly...

 

[3G-Spot]

This just means if you are planning some criminal activity - don't call anyone, but if do need to call...use a Telkom pay-phone or if you can, use skype, gmail, etc. I must say, this is not a brilliant idea to fight crime, sooo many ways around it and implementing this WILL cost the tax-payer millions, as usual.