2150 cases of mobile cloning in 2009-2010

The government today said telecom operators have reported 2,150 cases of mobile cloning during 2009-2010.
“The government has come to know through telecom service providers that approximately 2,150 cases of mobile cloning through duplication of subscriber identity in different parts of country have come to their notice during 2009-2010,” Minister of Communications and Information Technology A Raja said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
Mobile cloning is a method of copying a mobile phone’s International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) onto another phone, which allows the user of the cloned phone to make fraudulent calls, the bill for which is sent to the victim as opposed to the perpetrator. This method is also used to carry out anti social activities.
Raja further said in his statement that though cloning of subscriber identity is difficult due to elaborate authentication and Encryption mechanisms used in the mobile network, the government plans to monitor mobile cloning through TERM (Telecom Enforcement, Resource and Monitoring) cells.