SIM cards not registered in the owner's name are still widespread despite the new penalty regulations.
Despite regulations imposing fines of up to 40 million VND on the buying, selling, and distribution of pre-activated SIM cards, which came into effect on July 1st, the buying and selling of SIM cards without proper ownership documents continues to take place online. With just a few searches, users can still access numerous accounts openly advertising and selling activated SIM cards, ready for transaction.
From July 1st, 2026, Decree No. 174/2026/ND-CP officially came into effect, stipulating fines of 30-40 million VND for the act of selling, renting, transferring, or circulating pre-activated SIM cards when not belonging to organizations or individuals authorized by regulations. However, it has been observed that the buying and selling has not ceased but has quickly shifted entirely to cyberspace, operating more discreetly to avoid detection by authorities.
Simply typing keywords related to "junk SIMs," "unregistered SIMs," or "activated SIMs" on Facebook, Zalo, or Telegram, users can easily access numerous groups and personal accounts openly offering them for sale. A typical example is the "Buy and Sell Junk SIMs" group with over 15,000 members, which frequently features posts advertising SIM cards and network packages at various prices, accompanied by promises of "identified SIMs," "ready to use," and nationwide delivery.
Posing as someone looking to buy disposable SIM cards, the reporter was quoted a retail price of 150,000-250,000 VND per SIM by an account named "CH QU," with discounts for bulk purchases. The account also guaranteed the SIMs would function normally and offered a warranty for the first few days if any issues arose.
When asked about the origin of the SIM card, the person admitted it was a disposable SIM, and warned that if the SIM was lost or damaged, it could not be reissued, and the buyer had to accept the risk because they were not directly registered under their name. If the SIM card was investigated by the network provider, the user also faced the risk of having it revoked.
According to investigations, this person previously ran a SIM card dealership at their private residence in Thanh Vinh ward (Nghe An province). However, since the new decree increased the penalties, all buying and selling activities have shifted online. After each transaction, the advertising posts are quickly deleted, and the account frequently changes its name and profile picture to avoid being traced.
To fully exploit social media platforms, many businesses create numerous fake accounts using vague, non-authentic information.
Ms. Hoang Minh Tam (28 years old, residing in Thanh Vinh ward) said: "Every day I hear about phone scams, so I feel very uneasy. If these disposable SIM cards are used by criminals, the risk of scams will be even greater, and it will be very difficult for people to recognize and prevent them."
Sharing the same viewpoint, Mr. Tran Tung Duong (32 years old, residing in Truong Vinh ward) said: "Many people, for convenience or to save money, still buy pre-registered SIM cards without fully understanding the consequences. In my opinion, both the buying, selling, and advertising of unregistered SIM cards need to be strictly dealt with to limit these negative outcomes."
According to the Telecommunications Authority, recently, the advertising of pre-activated SIM cards has become more prevalent as subscriber management and information standardization have been tightened. This is due to speculators seeking to sell off surplus pre-activated SIM cards. However, with the new regulations, this type of SIM card will no longer have a chance to exist in the market.
According to current regulations, users must complete biometric facial authentication within 2 hours of inserting the SIM card into the device. For SIM cards already activated using someone else's information, authentication will fail. After 35 days, if the subscriber does not complete the authentication, the network provider will reclaim the SIM card. Therefore, the sale of pre-activated SIM cards is essentially a scam to deceive buyers.
From a legal perspective, lawyer Tran Dai Lam of ANVI Law Firm stated that Decree No. 174/2026/ND-CP has added many regulations to tighten control over the buying, selling, and circulation of pre-activated SIM cards and SIM cards not registered in the owner's name – which are often used by individuals to commit illegal acts.
According to point b, clause 7, Article 34 of Decree No. 174/2026/ND-CP, the act of selling, leasing, transferring, or circulating on the market SIM cards that have been assigned telecommunications numbers, pre-filled with information, and pre-provided with mobile services, but are not from telecommunications enterprises or organizations/individuals allocated or assigned telecommunications codes and numbers as prescribed, will be subject to a fine of 30-40 million VND.
This penalty also applies to the illegal registration of subscriber information or the buying, selling, and use of devices that pre-activate services for subscriber SIM cards.
At the same time, the Decree clearly states that those who use SIM cards registered in their name will be fined from 200,000 VND to 50 million VND, depending on the number of violating subscribers.
The Ministry of Public Security advises that, to protect their own rights and contribute to crime prevention, people should only buy SIM cards at official transaction points of telecommunications companies or authorized dealers; register subscriber information correctly according to regulations and regularly check and update information when required.
Absolutely do not buy, sell, exchange, or use SIM cards registered with someone else's information; do not lend, rent, or use personal information to register subscriptions illegally. When discovering accounts, groups, or websites showing signs of selling SIM cards that are not registered under someone else's name or are pre-activated in large quantities, people should report it to the authorities or telecommunications companies for timely investigation and action.
