Risk from the offer to ‘buy junk SIM by weight’

Minh Anh (Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi) continuously receives invitations to join the pre-activated SIM buying and selling group on Facebook.

In particular, many posts advertise “verified” SIM cards, claiming that the SIM “can be bought and used immediately”, no additional procedures are needed. “Afraid that this is a group of scammers, I don’t dare to access it again,” Minh Anh said.

As noted by VnExpressin some community groups on Facebook, there are still many offers to buy and sell pre-activated SIMs in large quantities, even “selling junk SIMs by weight”.

The owner of an online SIM selling facility confirmed that he has an identified SIM card, “every network has it”, with a retail price of 150,000-250,000 VND. A receiving point is the “SIM warehouse” that sends price lists of many SIMs with different numbers for buyers to choose from. This person commits that the SIM will work normally and will provide warranty within the first few days if an error occurs.

When asked about the origin of the subscription information, this person admitted that this was a junk SIM, and warned that if the SIM is lost or burned, the SIM cannot be reissued, and the buyer must accept the risk because it is not directly in their name. If the SIM is reviewed by the network operator, users also face the risk of the SIM being revoked.

A representative of the Department of Telecommunications said that “authenticated” SIM ads have appeared a lot recently when subscriber management and information standardization have been tightened. The reason is that the “dealers” are looking for ways to push the remaining pre-activated SIMs to the market.

Some offers create the impression that buyers only need to install a SIM card in their device to use it for a long time. However, with the new policy, the Department of Telecommunications affirms that this type of SIM “has no chance to exist” because when installed on a new device, users must perform a facial authentication request. Meaning, the pre-activated SIM will be disabled. “If SIM buyers do not transfer to the owner’s name, they will unfairly lose money,” a representative of the Department analyzed.

According to the management agency, agents’ false advertising can be considered a form of fraud. Buyers, if they believe in advertising, will not only lose money but also face legal risks when using an unauthorized SIM.

According to the Telecommunications Law 2023, subscribers must provide complete and accurate information to the network operator when entering into a contract. In case a mobile user uses a subscription in the name of another person’s identification documents, their phone number will be revoked and they will be subject to penalties according to the law.

A network operator representative said that the new regulations have significantly narrowed the possibility of pre-activated SIMs, because checking subscription status is done in parallel with facial authentication requirements.

Data from the 2026 subscriber review shows that there are more than 93 million phone numbers with confirmed owners on VNeID, but there are still more than two million numbers whose owners are not identified.

In addition, since June 15, about 18 million phone numbers whose usage status has not been confirmed have been blocked for outgoing calls. According to reports from telecommunications businesses, based on analysis of consumer behavior and the number of registered subscribers, 10 million of these SIMs have a high probability of no longer being needed or the possibility of pre-activated SIMs cannot be ruled out. Previously, during the general review of subscribers in 2023, about 6 million subscribers had their numbers revoked and service provision stopped.