Members of the public will be better protected from fraudsters and scammers through a landmark, Europe-first ban on the possession and supply of SIM farms, the Fraud Minister Lord Hanson has confirmed today.
SIM farms are technical devices capable of holding multiple SIM cards enabling criminals to send scam texts to thousands of people at once or set up ‘verified’ online accounts in large volumes. They increase the chances of innocent consumers falling victim to major financial losses.
With recent data showing that fraud increased last year by 19%, and that it accounts for more than 40% of all reported crime in England and Wales, the government is acting to prevent and counter these evolving threats and deliver security for the public as a foundation of the Plan for Change. This follows the commitment to publish a new, expanded fraud strategy before the end of the year.
The new offence will make the possession or supply of SIM farms without a legitimate reason illegal, shutting down a key route used by criminals to exploit the public, and will carry an unlimited fine in England and Wales and a £5,000 fine in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The ban will come into effect 6 months after the Crime and Policing Bill receives Royal Assent.
It will mean that those offenders using these devices to defraud the public will not only continue to face the full force of the law for their heinous actions but will also be hit with hefty fines.
Fraud Minister Lord Hanson said:
Fraud devastates lives, and I am determined to take the decisive action necessary to protect the public from these shameful criminals.
Two-thirds of British adults say they’ve received a suspicious message on their phone – equivalent to more than 35 million people – which is why cracking down on SIM farms is so vital to protecting the public.
This marks a leap forward in our fight against fraud and will provide law enforcement and industry partners the clarity they need to protect the public from this shameful crime. This government will continue to take robust action to protect the public from fraud and deliver security and resilience through the Plan for Change.
Anyone who is worried about being a victim of fraud and wants to find out more about how to better stay protected, including understanding the tactics fraudsters use, should visit Stop! Think Fraud – How to stay safe from scams.
Rachel Andrews, Head of Corporate Security at Vodafone UK, said:
Vodafone UK is committed to protecting all our customers from fraud, including activity enabled by SIM farms. So far this year we have blocked over 38.5 million suspected scam messages, and in 2024 that figure reached over 73.5 million for the year.
As an industry, UK telecoms operators have blocked more than 1 billion suspected scam messages since 2023. However, we cannot fully tackle fraud in isolation, collaboration between industry and government is crucial. This is a really important step taken by the Home Office and we fully support the inclusion of SIM farms in the upcoming legislation.
We look forward to working together on this issue.
Nick Sharp, Deputy Director for Fraud at the National Crime Agency, said:
Fraud is the crime we are all most likely to experience, and one that causes victims significant emotional and financial harm.
We know that fraud at scale is being facilitated by SIM farms, which give criminals a means and an opportunity to contact victims at scale with relative ease.
The ban announced today is very welcome. It will give us a vital tool to step up our fight against fraudsters, target the services they rely on, and better protect the public.
