More than 3,000 SIM cards were activated by fraudsters in Shymkent

Officers of the cybercrime unit in Shymkent shut down a supply channel of SIM cards to online fraudsters. This was reported by the press service of the republic's Ministry of Internal Affairs.

During the operation, individuals were identified who provided swindlers with subscriber numbers of Kazakhstan telecom operators. They were used to call citizens, including from the territory of other countries.

Law enforcement officers detained a man who was engaged in the mass registration of SIM cards and passed confirmation codes from the WhatsApp messenger to third parties. Fraudsters used them in criminal schemes.

His accomplice turned out to be a salesperson at a smartphone accessories store. He used customers' personal data to register subscriber numbers without their knowledge.

 In this way, they registered more than 3,000 SIM cards. Both suspects are currently in custody, and a pre-trial investigation is underway.

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Internal Affairs reminded that participation in fraud schemes is a criminal offense. Citizens also must not transfer SIM cards to third parties, the agency concluded.