Fake ID with a picture of a monkey passes SIM registration –NBI

A team at National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has found out a crucial flaw in the current SIM registration process.

As reported by Inquirer.net, NBI Cybercrime Division Chief Atty. Jeremy Lotoc said that they attempted to register SIM cards from different telco companies using what appears to be a fake PhilHealth ID with a picture of a monkey.

Photo/ National Bureau of Investigation, via Inquirer.net

Lotoc claims that despite the obvious falsity of the presented document, the system still accepted the SIM registration application in question. The team also used different names that apparently do not exist.

This revelation was brought to light during a Senate hearing on Tuesday.

Senator Grace Poe, head of the Senate Committee on Public Services expressed disappointment at the NBI’s findings, stating that telcos seem to prioritize gaining as many subscribers by making the registration as easy as possible.

Globe Telecom has acknowledged the possibility of fake IDs with animal pictures being used for SIM registration.

Ariel Tubayan, Globe’s head of corporate and legal services, said that they have requested access to government ID issuers to validate IDs used by applicants during the time when the SIM registration law was still being discussed in Congress.

Implementing the law would have been a less thorny issue if the national ID had been fully rolled out beforehand, Tubayan claims.

“Pero unggoy yung nasa picture e?” Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva asked.

Tubayan responded that they could not see the applicant’s details as it goes directly to the system.

This implies that there might be no verification or cross-checking happening at all. Except the selfie validation process which Tubayan also explained in the hearing.

However, when asked if a monkey selfie could also be used, Tubayan answered “Palagay ko po kung ‘yun ang ginamit nila [NBI].”

In line with this, Globe says they’re in full cooperation with the government on SIM registration law. They have also launched the #StopScam portal, where subscribers can report spam and scam messages.