Scam Watch Pilipinas Urges SIM Card Registration Limits
MANILA, Philippines — Scam Watch Pilipinas has renewed its call to restrict the number of registered subscriber identity modules (SIMs) per person to help curb online scams. The group insists this step is crucial to strengthen the fight against cybercriminals exploiting unlimited SIM registrations.
“In terms of legislation [to combat online scams], the first step is to fix the loopholes in the SIM Registration Law,” Scam Watch Pilipinas founder Jocel De Guzman said in Filipino during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday.
He explained, “Unlimited yung pwedeng i-register ng isang tao na mga SIM cards under his name. Yun yung unang-una. Yung mga nahuhuli ni General Yang, isang tao, 600 yung naka-register na SIMs sa kanya.” (A person can register an unlimited number of SIM cards under their name. That’s the first issue. People arrested by General Yang had as many as 600 SIMs registered in their name.)
Background of SIM Registration Law and Proposed Limits
The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP ACG) Director Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang is currently leading enforcement efforts against cybercrime involving SIM cards. The SIM Registration Act, or Republic Act 11934, was signed into law in 2022 to require Filipinos to register their SIM cards and reduce cybercrimes.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) had earlier proposed a limit of three to four SIM cards per person. However, De Guzman suggested a slightly higher cap of 10 SIMs per individual. He explained this would accommodate legitimate business needs and allow parents to register SIMs for their minor children.
Enforcement Actions and Ongoing Scam Threats
At the same forum, Brig. Gen. Yang reported that the PNP ACG arrested 608 individuals from December 2024 to June 2025 for various cybercrimes, including selling pre-registered SIM cards, violating RA 11934. These arrests highlight the scale of the problem tied to unregulated SIM registrations.
Meanwhile, a local tech firm revealed that between March and mid-June this year, its content checker detected more than 7,200 confirmed scams and nearly 2,900 potential scams from over 20,800 reports of suspicious online content. These figures underscore how widespread online scams remain despite recent laws.
New Scams and the Need for Stricter Controls
Following the law’s enactment, the DICT warned of emerging scams. These include the sale of pre-registered SIM cards with fees charged to unsuspecting users. Such schemes exploit weaknesses in the current registration system, making calls to limit the number of registered SIM cards per person more urgent.
Local sources noted the importance of closing these loopholes to protect consumers and improve the country’s cybersecurity landscape.
For more news and updates on SIM card registration and online scam prevention, visit Filipinokami.com.