VodafoneThree, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and City of London Police have collaborated to identify and disrupt criminal SIM farm operations, leading to eight arrests, the seizure of cash and equipment, and the recovery of more than one million compromised card details ‘phished’ from the public by criminals.
- Intelligence sharing between VodafoneThree and the National Crime Agency (NCA) has helped locate, identify, and disrupt criminal SIM farm operations through a new proof of concept.
- Law enforcement has so far arrested eight people, seized SIM farm equipment and cash, and recovered more than one million compromised card details ‘phished’ from the public by criminals.
- The announcement comes as new legislation criminalising the operation of SIM farms came into force from 29th October.
A SIM farm is a collection of cellular SIM cards, sometimes scaling to hundreds or thousands, used by fraudsters to route massive volumes of automated calls and text messages to members of the public, aiming to deceive victims into giving up sensitive personal information – known commonly as ‘phishing’. This information can be used to commit fraudulent activities or be packaged into detailed ‘profiles’ of potential victims and sold to other criminals.
Around three million victims suffered financial loss through fraud, (the most commonly experienced crime in England and Wales) with more than four million incidents in the year ending March 2025. The economic and social cost of fraud in 2024 was estimated at £14.4 billion by the Home Office.
Using a new approach developed with law enforcement, having identified suspected SIM farm activity, VodafoneThree shared intelligence with the NCA and City of London Police’s Fraud Targeting Cell. The Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU), a banking industry-funded unit, used the intel to investigate individuals suspected of using SIM farm systems to target the public. This led to the disruption of organised criminal activity and the recovery of what law enforcement has described as potentially the largest haul of compromised payment details ever recovered.
The announcement comes as legislation banning the operation of SIM farms takes effect in the UK, strengthening powers to tackle fraud and organised crime – enabling earlier disruption, more arrests, and fewer victims.
Fraud cannot be tackled through protection measures alone. We need to go further, using our intelligence and capabilities to identify and disrupt the infrastructure that allows organised criminals to operate at scale. This collaboration with the NCA shows what can be achieved when industry and law enforcement combine their strengths, disrupting criminal activity closer to its source and preventing harm before it reaches customers and the wider public.
Rachel Andrews, Head of Corporate Security, VodafoneThree
These arrests highlight the impact of close collaboration between law enforcement and industry. Intelligence shared by VodafoneThree enabled us to disrupt suspected criminal activity and recover more than one million compromised card details. SIM farms are a key enabler of large-scale fraud, allowing criminals to create huge numbers of fake online accounts and target victims in huge quantities with minimal effort. The introduction of new offences covering the possession and supply of SIM farms strengthens our ability to protect the public from fraud. The NCA will continue to work with partners across policing and industry to disrupt the criminals behind this offending.
Nick Sharp, Deputy Director of Fraud in the National Economic Crime Centre, National Crime Agency
It only takes one fraudulent text to deprive people of their hard-earned money and SIM farms give fraudsters the tools to target their victims at scale. The law we introduced to ban their use is now in force. Those using these devices to defraud the public will not only continue to face the full force of the law but will also be hit with hefty fines. Criminals are increasingly working on an industrial scale, so we are meeting them with the same force by partnering with mobile networks and law enforcement to disrupt their operations and hit the scammers where it hurts.
Lord Hanson, Minister for Fraud
Tackling fraud at the source
Crucially, SIM farms can hide in plain sight. Recent UK investigations have uncovered the technology operating from ordinary homes and properties in local communities.
As criminals increasingly exploit digital infrastructure, organised fraud is becoming more sophisticated and harder to detect.
The ability to operate at greater scale and speed makes disrupting the infrastructure behind fraud more important than ever.
- Fraud “accounts for more than 40% of all reported crime in England and Wales”.
- Lord Hanson (Fraud Minister): “Two-thirds of British adults say they’ve received a suspicious message on their phone – equivalent to more than 35 million people – which is why cracking down on SIM farms is so vital to protecting the public.”.
Combatting organised crime through collaboration
Telecommunications operators have a critical role to play in disrupting the infrastructure that enables organised fraud.
In line with Pillar 1 ‘DISRUPT’ of the UK Government’s Fraud Strategy, VodafoneThree is committed to tackling fraud at its source.
Alongside its own safeguards, it works with industry, government and law enforcement to disrupt fraud and protect customers and the wider public.
A landmark moment in the fight against digital fraud
The criminalisation of SIM farms represents a significant change in the UK’s approach to tackling fraud.
By making the operation of SIM farms a criminal offence, law enforcement agencies now have additional powers to target the infrastructure that underpins a wide range of fraud and cybercrime offences.
The legislation reflects a growing focus on preventing criminal activity at source.
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* According to the NCA.
Notes to Editors:
The Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU) was established in 2002 as a unique, proactive and fully operational police unit with a national remit, formed as a collaboration between UK Finance, the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police Service. It is funded by and provides services to the members of UK Finance’s Economic Crime Fraud stream.
