Three former NWT staff netted in alleged SIM card scam
2001-4-27
The ICAC yesterday (Thursday) arrested three former staff of New World Telephone Limited (NWT) for allegedly using stolen personal and company data to subscribe mobile phone SIM cards for sale to vice operators and criminals.
The three former NWT sales executives had resigned from the company in September and October 1999. And NWT had provided full assistance to the ICAC during the investigation.
The ICAC commenced the investigation after receiving a corruption complaint from a company, which was billed for mobile phone service they had never subscribed.
The complainant suspected that some NWT staff might have accepted bribes to allow the use of data relating to companies which were not subscribing mobile phone service from NWT to open mobile phone accounts with NWT.
Subsequent ICAC investigations revealed that the arrestees were allegedly involved in the use of stolen data and forged documents to subscribe mobile phone SIM cards and the trading of such cards to criminals.
The arrestees, during their employment with NWT, had collected some phone service subscribers' data, including photocopies of ID cards, company registration certificates and bank statements of IDD subscribers.
After they had left the company, they submitted such data to a number of telecommunication companies, including NWT, to subscribe mobile phone service and SIM cards.
Between January and March last year, the arrestees had allegedly subscribed over 100 SIM cards from a number of telecommunication companies with false documents relating to nine companies, other persons and forged company chops.
One of the arrestees had allegedly acted as a middleman selling such SIM cards to criminals at $100 to $300 each. SIM cards registered with IDD service had been traded at a slightly higher price.
Meanwhile, since the billing addresses were usually fake, the mobile phone service charges generated from such SIM cards were never settled.
During yesterday's operation, ICAC officers also recovered a company chop and some identification documents, including two Hong Kong ID cards belonging to other parties, from the premises of one of the arrestees.
The three arrestees have been released on ICAC bail, pending further inquiries.
The three former NWT sales executives had resigned from the company in September and October 1999. And NWT had provided full assistance to the ICAC during the investigation.
The ICAC commenced the investigation after receiving a corruption complaint from a company, which was billed for mobile phone service they had never subscribed.
The complainant suspected that some NWT staff might have accepted bribes to allow the use of data relating to companies which were not subscribing mobile phone service from NWT to open mobile phone accounts with NWT.
Subsequent ICAC investigations revealed that the arrestees were allegedly involved in the use of stolen data and forged documents to subscribe mobile phone SIM cards and the trading of such cards to criminals.
The arrestees, during their employment with NWT, had collected some phone service subscribers' data, including photocopies of ID cards, company registration certificates and bank statements of IDD subscribers.
After they had left the company, they submitted such data to a number of telecommunication companies, including NWT, to subscribe mobile phone service and SIM cards.
Between January and March last year, the arrestees had allegedly subscribed over 100 SIM cards from a number of telecommunication companies with false documents relating to nine companies, other persons and forged company chops.
One of the arrestees had allegedly acted as a middleman selling such SIM cards to criminals at $100 to $300 each. SIM cards registered with IDD service had been traded at a slightly higher price.
Meanwhile, since the billing addresses were usually fake, the mobile phone service charges generated from such SIM cards were never settled.
During yesterday's operation, ICAC officers also recovered a company chop and some identification documents, including two Hong Kong ID cards belonging to other parties, from the premises of one of the arrestees.
The three arrestees have been released on ICAC bail, pending further inquiries.