The Home Office described the ban on SIM farms as a “landmark” step for fraud prevention, with the UK becoming the first country in Europe to ban the possession and supply of the devices.
Government data shows that fraud increased by 19% last year and that it accounts for more than 40% of all reported crime in England and Wales.
What are SIM farms?
A SIM card, or ‘subscriber identity module’, is a small chip embedded in a plastic card that slots into your phone. It allows mobile phones to connect to a mobile network.
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.
The new offence will make the possession or supply of SIM farms without a legitimate reason illegal. Ministers said this will shut down a key route used by criminals to exploit the public.
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Unlimited fines
Anyone found setting up an illegal SIM farm could receive an unlimited fine in England and Wales and a £5,000 fine in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The ban will come into effect six months after the Crime and Policing Bill receives royal assent.
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.”
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 one 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.”
