Decline seen with full implementation of SIM Registration Act
Leading digital solutions platform Globe blocked 2.2 billion scam and spam messages from January to June this year, a nearly four-fold increase from the 615.01 million it logged in the same period last year. This figure is closely approaching the 2022 full-year record of 2.72 billion blocked messages.
Globe’s intensified fight against fraudsters complements the government's enforcement of the SIM registration law which aims to curb, if not eliminate, cybercrime.
Unscrupulous persons commonly use scam and spam text messages to gain access or procure personal information from mobile users. This access to sensitive information allows cyberhackers to take control of online accounts, resulting in significant financial losses as they siphon out money from the victims' banks or e-wallet accounts.
“At Globe, we're unwavering in our dedication to bolster the government's fight against cybercrime. Our significant investments in advanced filtering systems and our intensified campaign to block scam and spam messages is a testament to our promise of providing secure and reliable communication services to our customers,” said Anton Bonifacio, Globe Chief Information Security Officer.
In response to the rising number of crimes and spam text messages, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No 11934, or the SIM Registration Act, on October 10, 2022. The law mandates individuals to register their SIMs by submitting valid identification documents to telecommunications entities. The period of registration ended on July 25 for SIMs in use before the law was enacted. All new SIMs must also be registered before it could be activated.
As the law goes into full effect and with a SIM database now in place, Globe hopes to see an eventual decline in the number of spam and scam messages sent out, as it called on customers to remain vigilant as fraudsters are known to devise new ways to pull off their criminal schemes.
To support government efforts against spam and scam, Globe continues to proactively block malicious SMS, including all person-to-person messages with links.
Globe has invested $20 million to bolster its spam and scam SMS detection and blocking system. The company's Security Operations Center works 24/7 to filter out these unwanted messages from both international and domestic sources. Customers may also report spam and scam SMS to Globe’s #StopSPAM portal.
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