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UK wages war on ‘sim farms’ in scam crackdown

Fraud has risen by 19% and constitutes over 40% of reported crime in England and Wales
Fraud has risen by 19% and constitutes over 40% of reported crime in England and Wales (Getty Images)
  • The UK government will ban "sim farms" to combat fraud, marking the first such ban in Europe.
  • Sim farms, devices holding multiple SIM cards, enable scammers to send mass scam texts and create numerous verified accounts.
  • The ban will impose unlimited fines in England and Wales, and £5,000 fines in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
  • Fraud has risen by 19% and constitutes over 40% of reported crime in England and Wales.
  • The ban aims to empower law enforcement and industry partners to protect the public from fraud, and will take effect six months after the Crime and Policing Bill receives royal assent.
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