Police have arrested a 33-year-old man on for allegedly selling a registered SIM card linked to an electronic payment account, authorities said.

The suspect, identified only as “Caloy,” was apprehended during an entrapment operation conducted by the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit 4B (RACU 4B) at approximately 6 p.m last Monday.

The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP ACG) said the suspect faces charges for violations of the SIM Registration Act (Republic Act 11934) and the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (Republic Act 12010), both in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act (Republic Act 10175).

Brigadier General Bernard R. Yang, Acting Director of the PNP ACG, urged the public to avoid selling financial accounts.

“It is illegal and punishable by law,” Yang said. “Be part of the solution against cybercrime by reporting suspicious activities to your nearest ACG office.”

The country enacted the SIM Registration Act in 2022 requiring all SIM card users to register their identities with telecommunications providers to combat scams and fraud.

The Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act, passed in 2023, specifically criminalizes the selling or transferring of financial accounts, as these are frequently used in various online scams.