Globe Telecom saw a big drop in the number of spam and scam text messages it stopped on its network during the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period the previous year. This was due to the telco's more stringent anti-spam measures.
In the first quarter of 2024, only 362.8 million spam and scam SMS were stopped, down from 1.1 billion in the first quarter of 2023. This is a huge decrease of 67% year-on-year. The number of bank-related spam and scam messages dropped sharply by 74%, from 4.07 million in Q1 2023 to 1.04 million in the most recent quarter. These messages often try to trick people into giving out private financial information.
Moreover, Globe's Stop Spam website saw a 44% drop in the number of scam SMS messages reported by customers year over year, from 610 in Q1 2023 to 342 in Q1 2024. This is a good sign because it means that fewer customers are being scammed.
Anton Bonifacio, Chief Information Security Officer at Globe, said:
We are pleased to see our intensified anti-spam initiatives finally turning the tide against unscrupulous individuals and syndicates who bombard our customers with fraudulent messaging. The adoption of stringent filtering, along with other measures, has clearly borne fruit in dramatically reducing the volume of spam and scam SMS.
Globe intensified its fight against spam by putting in place tight filtering measures. These included blocking peer-to-peer SMS with links and limiting application-to-peer SMS with links. These steps have been very important in reducing the number of unwanted messages and making sure they are real.
Since 2015, Globe has spent more than USD 101.2 million on cybersecurity. Of this amount, USD 26 million was used to strengthen its security against fraud, messaging attacks, and threats related to voice calls. This also includes setting up and regularly upgrading a cutting-edge Security Operations Center (SOC) that works around the clock to monitor, manage, and protect the network and systems from potential risks.
The SIM Registration Act served as a deterrent by making it harder for scammers to use SIM cards anonymously for illegal activities.
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Scammers moving to other platforms
While Globe appreciated this accomplishment, it warned customers to be careful because scammers are moving to new channels that telco can't reach. Over-the-top messaging apps and caller ID spoofing are two examples of ways to bypass mobile carrier networks.
Mobile phone users are still reporting they get spam SMS messages with questionable job and prize offers. At the same time, there have been more cases of spoofing. This is when scammers use an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) catcher or a fake cell tower or base station to send malicious SMS to cell phone users under the guise of a real sender ID.
Anton Bonifacio, Chief Information Security Officer at Globe, said:
The fight against spam is far from over. Even as we gain ground in suppressing illegitimate SMS, cybercriminals are pivoting to new fronts outside our scope. We urge our customers to stay alert, verify suspicious messages, and immediately report any scam attempts through our Stop Spam portal.
Globe maintains a steadfast dedication to protecting its customers from prevalent threats and guaranteeing the integrity of its communication infrastructure, even as it innovates and enhances its anti-spam protocols.
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