Globe warns the public against new text scam methods employed by fraudsters amidst the SIM registration law and telco blocking.
The telco reiterates its call for the public to be extra vigilant as law enforcers warn of a surge in online and text fraud.
Anton Bonifacio, Chief Information Security Officer at Globe, said fraudsters are devising new tactics to lure unsuspecting victims to bypass the SIM Registration Act, despite industry efforts to curb spam and scam SMS.
Bonifacio stated that due to Globe's stricter regulations, scammers are now turning to over-the-top (OTT) media services like chat apps and spoofing. They also use illegal devices to deceive customer phones, all of which operate outside the telcos' scope.
Bonifacio said:
As much as we improve our filtering systems and enhance the implementation of the SIM Registration Act, fraudsters continue to find new ways to make victims out of mobile and internet users. We would like to reiterate our appeal to the public: please, please never engage with unsolicited calls, texts, or chat messages, and never give your personal details to strangers.
Police data shows that cyber identity theft cases in the Philippines rose by 12.2% in 2023, with 1,597 incidents logged, compared to 1,402 in 2022.
On the other hand, Globe Telecom reported that there has been a significant increase in the number of scams and spam text messages. In 2023 alone, 5.48 billion unwanted SMS messages were blocked, which is double the amount in 2022 (2.7 billion). To address this issue, Globe has implemented strict measures such as blocking all person-to-person SMS messages that include URLs. This is an industry first and has been in effect since September 2022.
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In 2023, Globe reported a substantial reduction in fraudulent SMS messages related to banks. The total number of blocked messages decreased from 83.39 million in 2022 to 21.9 million in 2023, marking a 73.7% decline. This reduction can be attributed to the anti-fraud collaborations between Globe and major financial institutions.
Meanwhile, via its 24/7 #StopSpam portal, Globe blocked 220,669 SIMs in 2023, with most being from competitors - almost four times the 2022 total.
Globe, apart from its blocking initiatives, has been conducting public campaigns to promote online safety. Recently, it organized a #SeniorDigizen learning session where around 200 senior citizens were taught about various digital skills and risks they need to be aware of while using apps. The half-day event covered topics such as protecting email accounts and securing mobile wallets.
Bonifacio added:
As we push for digital inclusion, we also want to make our online safety efforts as inclusive. Globe will always find ways to reach as many of our customers as possible to protect them against the dangers that lurk online.
Globe has recently allocated a whopping sum of USD 90 million to beef up its cybersecurity measures. This financial boost comes as a complement to the USD 20 million infrastructure they had earlier invested in to combat spam and scam messages.
If you receive any spam or scam SMS, you can easily report it on Globe's #StopSpam portal (https://ift.tt/6BI0KAx). This way, you can help in putting an end to unwanted and fraudulent messages that you and other people might receive.
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