Not only has it happened once, but it is a mistake that has unfortunately been repeated in Digi. And it has to do with duplicate SIM cards for its clients. This has led to the telephone company having to assume a payment of almost one million euros. Although it is not a normal duplicate, but rather the well-known SIM swapping scam, a practice used by criminals to access a person’s number without being the owner of the line.
Last year we already learned of the first fine against the Romanian operator of the AEPD for not protecting its clients’ data as it should. And the truth is that it wouldn’t be the first. In total, there are up to 12 different sanctions for which he must pay a sum that reaches almost one million euros.
Digi wants to pay less fine
That Digi has a problem with fraudulently duplicating cards or SIM swapping is a reality. This has led him to have to pay an amount of 970,000 euros after receiving several fines from the AEPD (Spanish Data Protection Agency).
It is true that these types of practices affect the operator sector, and not only Digi, Vodafone, MásMóvil, Orange and Movistar also accumulate fines. Although, the reality is that behind this problem there is a lack of control when verifying the identity of clients so that they can request a duplicate SIM.
Without the necessary protection measures, it is easier for cybercriminals to carry out this technique with which to access customers’ mobile lines and carry out different procedures fraudulently, such as impersonating their identity.
At the end of 2023, it became known what the AEPD’s last sanction against Digi was: 200,000 euros, instead of the 70,000 euros that are usually imposed on these. And all due to the accumulation of several similar cases previously in which this inconvenience was repeated.
For this reason, the operator has reached the point of resorting to the National Court. With this, the company has managed to reduce the total payment of 970,000 euros by up to 340,000 euros. And the thing is, three of the twelve sanctions have been paralyzed, hence this reduction. Although, it is temporary, only until each of these complaints are judged and a final sentence is reached. In addition, Digi presented a bank guarantee, since all this is related to the 18.33 million that the operator assumes in losses in our country.
The problem with SIM swapping
Digi is not the only operator in Spain that suffers the consequences of SIM swapping. The AEPD has already fined different companies in our country for this same problem with duplicate cards. In fact, different operators have been fined more than 6 million euros for allowing this type of fraudulent action.
For example, Vodafone is the one that accumulates the largest fine, a total of 4.4 million euros (at least until the end of 2023). Then, there is Movistar and Orange with 970,000 and 910,000 euros respectively, and finally, MásMóvil with only 200,000 euros. Therefore, it is not something that only affects the low-cost operator, but it is a novelty in showing losses of 18.33 million in the allegation it presented to request precautionary measures before the AN (National Court).
