COSTA RICA NEWS — Costa Rica’s telecoms regulator, the Superindendencia de Telecommunicaciones (Sutel), will start a registry of pre-paid cell phone users to avoid identity theft and extortion, the watchdog announced in a press release.
Users will be able to register their details and account on a website set up by Sutel, where they can be cross-checked by the electoral tribunal. The website will be up on December 1, the release said.
By having an updated register of all prepaid users, Sutel hopes to avoid identity theft, although Sutel spokesperson Ivannia Morales told newspaper El Financiero that it will not yet be able to protect against users making transactions under somebody else’s name.
Sutel invested ¢56 million colones (US$104,000) in the platform, helped by IT security firm Corte Inglés.
The new registry will be operational on 1 December.