Sim, here are the new rules for replacing phone cards

Sim, we change. In all senses. During the month of November, the new anti-fraud rules established by Agcom, the Communications Authority, dedicated to the phone cards that we insert into our smartphones to communicate (there are also virtual ones) came into force. Anti-fraud for what? To counter identity theft, scams and the criminal use of telephone numbers in general. These are more stringent rules that apply either way Sim exchange with the same operator which in case of number portabilityi.e. when you keep your telephone number by changing company because we may have found a more advantageous offer.

Here’s what’s new and what changes compared to the past for users who will have to request a change of SIM with their operator or will request number portability to a new provider.

It is no longer possible to delegate. Except for companies

Do we want to change our Sim, perhaps worn out or out of date, by replacing it with another? If we are cardholders we can only do it in person. It can no longer be delegated: from now on only the holder will be able to make the change, even in the event of a SIM replacement due to theft, loss or deterioration, or in the event of a switch to an eSim, a virtual card.

Today, according to data from the mobile phone offers comparator SOStariffe.it, on average, activating a new Sim costs around 9.4 euros as a one-off fee. An activation fee for the new offer could be added to this amount in case of number portability to another operator. Companies, on the other hand, can still delegate: the authorization to change the SIM card is still allowed for company cards, but as we have seen, not for those made out to a simple private customer.

Without the old SIM, no portability

If we no longer have the old Sim, because it was stolen or we lost it or, despite having it with us, it is not working, we must first go to our current operator and ask for another new one. This will be the only step to ensure number portability. Only at that point will we be able to “move” the number to a new operator. It is therefore no longer possible to submit a portability request without having a working Sim in hand in the shop, and that it is in our name and no one else’s. This mechanism, while lengthening the time and potentially entailing an additional cost (due to the activation of a new Sim) should protect the user against the risk of having his or her Sim stolen.

Those requesting a new SIM will have to identify themselves with a document

The new rules enhance the SIM holder identification mechanism. Now the phone company will be required to identify the person requesting to replace the card. In short, it is not enough to claim that you are the real holder: you will need to present a copy of a document, the tax code or health card and, as seen, the old Sim (in the case of a lost or stolen Sim, a copy of the relative report to the authorities).

Verification by SMS confirmation and anti-fraud blocking

The telephone company, according to the Agcom resolution, will now have to carry out a check to ascertain the activity status of the SIM. In short, a sort of double check. If a change of SIM is requested or number portability is requested, the operator must send an SMS message to make sure the old card is working. The SIM holder must authorize the SIM exchange procedure (with portability if necessary) by following the instructions provided.

Verification via SMS is a mandatory step (alternatively, confirmation via a recorded call). It will be possible to proceed without checking only if the SIM has been lost or stolen (with the acquisition of a legible copy of the report to the competent authority) or is faulty (with presentation of the non-functioning card).

As is evident, the confirmation mechanism via SMS allows you to immediately block the change of the SIM or the request for portability if it is a scam. The card holder can interrupt the procedure by answering no to the communication received via text message. In this way, therefore, a further level of protection is added to prevent cases of so-called «Sim swap», a type of scam in which a criminal aims to get hold of the victim’s number and then perhaps exploit it for illegal activities or blackmail her.

Updates at each step of the portability procedure

During the porting process the phone company will now have to stick to a more precise consumer information mechanism. The new operator will in fact have to report to the customer on the progress of the procedure, updating it for each step (acceptance of the request, transfer of the number, transfer of the credit). The new rules also apply to M2M and IoT Sims, i.e. the Sims of objects connected to the internet such as cars or smartwatches. For this type of form, the user will have to provide an alternative number to which to send the procedure validation communications.

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