Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the role of SIM farms in facilitating authorised push payment fraud; and what steps her Department is taking to help tackle their misuse.

The Home Office recognises the serious role SIM farms play in enabling authorised push payment (APP) fraud, allowing criminals to send mass scam messages and impersonate trusted organisations.

Following extensive consultation, the Government is introducing a new offence in the Crime and Policing Bill to ban the possession and supply of SIM farms without a legitimate reason. This will disrupt fraud operations and protect the public, while safeguarding lawful uses such as broadcasting and network maintenance.

This measure is aimed at reducing fraud and strengthening enforcement against those who exploit technology to target victims.