Overview

• Sim farm devices, capable of sending thousands of scam texts, will be banned under new UK legislation, the first of its kind in Europe.
• Possession or supply of these devices without good reason will carry unlimited fines in England and Wales, and up to £5,000 in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
• The ban will take effect six months after the Crime and Policing Bill receives royal assent, with industry and law enforcement backing the move.
• Fraud now accounts for over 40% of reported crime in England and Wales, with a 19% rise in scams last year linked to sim farms.
• Telecom operators like Vodafone UK have blocked over one billion suspected scam messages since 2023, highlighting the scale of the problem.