New SIM porting rules reduce wait time to seven days for user convenience

Starting July 1, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has announced a reduction in the waiting period for mobile number porting after SIM card replacement. The period has been shortened from 10 days to seven days to enhance user convenience, TRAI stated on Friday.

The decision to implement a waiting period for mobile number porting aims to mitigate SIM swap scams, where fraudsters obtain personal details through phishing. This fraudulent practice involves deceiving victims into revealing sensitive information, which is then used to request a duplicate SIM card from mobile operators under false pretenses. Once the fraudulent SIM is activated, fraudsters exploit it to intercept OTPs and access victims' bank accounts.

The new rules, part of the Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability (Ninth Amendment) Regulations, 2024 issued by TRAI on March 14, 2024, reflect ongoing efforts to prevent fraudulent porting. TRAI stated the balance between deterring fraud and minimizing inconvenience for subscribers, noting that the wait period should be adequate without causing undue delay for legitimate users.