A resident of Kostanay was engaged in activating subscriber numbers using a device (simbox) for the virtual registration of SIM cards, which can be used by fraudsters in their schemes.
According to polisia.kz, up to 64 SIM cards can be placed in a simbox at once and activated on various online platforms for selling virtual numbers.
"From one of the seized boxes, a match was found for a subscriber number that fraudsters used to register WhatsApp and subsequently made calls to people, pretending to be government officials," the statement says.
It became known that the man bought SIM cards in bulk for 300-350 tenge each, and after activating them via the simbox, he could resell them repeatedly online.
"It has already been established that he registered on one of the websites for selling subscriber numbers as a seller and then transferred the right to use these numbers to an administrator for a monetary reward," police stated.
It is reported that a total of 9 such devices, 3 laptops, and 1500 SIM cards were seized from the man.
The police are investigating the fact of illegal creation, use, and distribution of software for altering the ID code of a subscriber device. This offence carries a fine of more than half a million tenge or arrest for up to 40 days.