Prior to the deadline for SIM registration on July 25, the number of so-called “SIM-aided” offenses has nearly tripled compared to last year.
There is never a day when investigators are not working on cases that victims of cybercrime bring to the Philippine National Police’s Anti-Cybercrime Group’s complaint desk at Camp Crame.
From 2,477 to 6,250, the number of cybercrime cases in Metro Manila alone increased 152% in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2018.
According to PNP ACG Director Police Brigadier General Sydney Hernia, the increase is consistent with a global trend. He claimed that this was a natural result of practically everyone accessing the internet today.
The ACG attributes the nearly 200% rise in SIM-aided crimes—4,104 in 2023 so far, compared to 1,415 in the same period last year—to the looming deadline for SIM registration.
