February 12, Patna nearly the next three months, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) plans to deactivate nearly 27 lakh SIM cards in Bihar as part of a significant crackdown on cybercrime.

Of the 27 lakh SIM cards, more than 3 lakh are issued by government-run telecom businesses, while more than 24 lakh are issued by commercial telecom service providers, according to BSNL Patna officials.

Customers with more than nine SIM cards are the main ones impacted by the new DoT standards. If a user goes above this limit, they have to notify their telecom providers and choose nine active SIMs in the allotted time.

Their tenth SIM card will be immediately disconnected if they don’t accomplish this. The action is a reaction to the growing number of cybercrime cases in Bihar.

Thousands of people in the state own more than nine SIM cards, many of which are used fraudulently, according to an official.

It is difficult for police to track down cybercriminals who use many SIM registers under a single name to perpetrate schemes.

The government anticipates a considerable reduction in cybercrime if the number of SIM cards per user is restricted. The new law requires telecom companies to notify impacted subscribers.

“The nine SIM cards that users choose to keep are up for selection. The official said that their tenth SIM card will be immediately disconnected if they did not take action within ninety days.

Nawada, Nalanda, Aurangabad, Gaya, Jamui, Lakhisarai, and Munger are among the districts in Bihar that have garnered prominence for cyber fraud operations; they are often likened to Jharkhand’s notorious Jamtara module.

Bihar is among the states most impacted by digital fraud as cybercriminals from these regions con unsuspecting individuals using phony SIM cards.

It is anticipated that the government’s SIM regulation policy would lower the number of cyberfraud cases in Bihar, improve mobile connection accountability, and stop the illicit usage of numerous SIM cards.

To ensure a seamless rollout of the new policy, the DoT is collaborating closely with telecom carriers.