Its misuse exposes its primary owner to accountability

Gifting the SIM card to others .. "Glamour" is not without consequences

People out of chivalry take the initiative to extract phone numbers with their names, then present them to acquaintances or relatives, as an expression of affection and over-trust, allowing them to use them... without paying attention to the consequences of this behavior, which landed some in a legal predicament, after the affection turned ungrateful and ungrateful.

The state courts witnessed several cases of this kind, as people were surprised to be summoned for interrogation in police stations, against the background of committing fraud crimes, with phone numbers owned by them.

Their assertion that they are not the real perpetrators did not absolve them of legal responsibility, because the figures used in the crime belonged to them.

People told "Emirates Today" that they provided phone cards to friends and relatives, after their arrival in the country, in order to help them search for work.

But they were surprised to later exploit them to establish relationships and commit unacceptable behaviors.

One of them said that he bought a phone chip with a special number for his ex-wife, as an expression of his love for him and his desire to please her.

However, the winds came with what the ships did not desire... as the affection turned into a quarrel and a demand for separation.

He added that he had received abuse from her over the phone.

When he tried to include her in the case file, she denied her connection to the chip, and said that he had sent it to himself with the intention of accusing her.

Another explained that he gave his phone chip to a friend of his before he left the country to return to his country, because he would not need it there.

However, he decided to return to the UAE after a few months, adding that he was surprised by a complaint filed against him by a woman on accusation of harassment over the phone.

The Ministry of Interior warned against this behavior, stressing that “giving a person a phone chip registered in his name, to others, puts him under legal responsibility because he will be the first party to turn to accusations in the event of a crime using the donated chip.”

Thus, it is as if he recorded a pre-recognition of committing the crime before it occurred,” noting that the actions issued by this number are in violation of the law.

She explained that “the phone number is an official means of identification, such as identity and passport, and the owner of the chip must be the only one who uses it, because it is included in his personal responsibility.”

Lawyer Ali Mosbeh said that "the problem of extracting SIM cards for other people is that it facilitates the commission of electronic crimes, because the original perpetrator is undercover in the name of the owner of the number or account."

He added: «After committing the crime, the owner of the phone or the account is the first to ask about the criminal act, and he is on the wanted list, although he is far from committing the crime.

In this case, his personal generosity does not absolve him from legal accountability until he proves that he did not extract the phone number or did not create the account,” referring to the possibility of stealing a copy of the identity or obtaining it in some way and using it from others.

He explained that «this person may have helped the original accused by extracting phone numbers, or he used to distribute the numbers to unknown people in order to obtain money.

In this case, he is a participant in the crime committed by the original perpetrator, unless he proves the opposite.

Mosbeh advised not to give others an opportunity to commit crimes by using phones or websites to avoid being subjected to legal accountability.

Anyone who uses a computer network, an electronic information system, or an information technology means to attack the privacy of a person shall be punished by imprisonment for a period of no less than six months and a fine of no less than 150,000 dirhams and not in excess of 500,000 dirhams, or either of these two penalties. Other than legally authorized cases in one of the following ways: eavesdropping, intercepting, recording, transmitting, broadcasting, disclosing conversations, communications, audio or visual materials, taking pictures of others, preparing, transmitting, disclosing, copying or keeping electronic pictures; Or publishing news, electronic images, photographs, scenes, comments, data or information, even if it is true and real.

It is also punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than one year and a fine of not less than 250 thousand dirhams and not in excess of one million dirhams, or either of these two penalties, whoever benefits or facilitates for others without the right to benefit from communications services or broadcast channels, audio or video, through the information network or information technology.

According to these articles, “anyone who facilitates for others the use of telecommunication services and assists him in committing a crime is an accomplice in its commission.”

And Mosbeh added: “The danger of this behavior lies in the fact that people are subject to criminal accountability, as some tolerate it out of trust or knowledge, and believe that they are exempt from accountability in the event of a crime.”

He pointed out that “a person is exempt from legal accountability if he informs the competent authorities about the use of the phone or the website by others, and that he is not the owner of the account or the phone, and he did not extract a phone for others, and that this was done without his knowledge, with proof of that.”

Anyone who circumvents an Internet protocol address by using a fictitious address, or an address belonging to others, or by any other means, with the intent of committing a crime or preventing its discovery shall be punished by imprisonment and a fine of not less than 150,000 dirhams and not in excess of 500,000 dirhams, or either of these two penalties.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news