The Philippines' actions to combat text scams have made enormous progress after complaints dropped to over 90% during the first quarter of 2023.
In 2022, Filipinos grew agitated at the receipt of copious text scams and unsolicited messages, as scammers seemed to take their nefarious actions to the next level. Victims of text scams and spam were alarmed; most were sharing on social media their worries while trying to reach authorities for remedies. Some claimed to have received messages from unknown contact numbers displaying their full names.
Understanding the Risk of Text Scams
Scammers are known to send fake messages in order to deceive people into providing their personal information, such as passwords and bank account or social security numbers, in order to gain full access to their emails, banking information and more.
They often employ dubious tactics like getting people to click on a link, which will then lead to a fake website. Through such links, cybercriminals can steal data, money and other personal information from their unwitting victims.
Any mobile phone user is susceptible to receiving messages from unfamiliar sources offering promotions that are too good to be true.
According to reports, in 2022, such scammers were surprisingly able to include the names of phone users in their text templates for a more personalized approach. Several complaints showed victims being addressed by their real names, making the scam that much more credible.
Measures to Combat Scams and Spam Messages
To tackle this growing concern, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No. 11934, known as the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Act, on October 10, 2022, which requires Public Telecommunication Entities (PTEs) or direct sellers to require end users of SIM cards to present valid identification documents certifying their identities.
PTEs are also obliged to submit a verified list of their authorized dealers and nationwide agents to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on a quarterly basis.
In accordance with this law, SIM card owners were given an initial deadline of April 26, which has been extended to July 25, to register their SIM cards before they can utilize them. This registration requirement encompasses all SIMs — mobile phones and prepaid Wi-Fi kits — as well as those in electronic or card form.
A SIM will not be activated unless it is registered, preventing users from using its services. SIM card registration aims to curtail various forms of online and mobile fraud by allowing authorities to track the identities of scammers and their illegal activities.
Local telecommunications companies are also collaborating with the national government to further protect users' data and crack down on cybercriminals.
PLDT Inc. and its wireless unit, Smart Communications Inc., are intensifying their efforts against fraud. "There's no recent cybersecurity incident that may have allowed criminals to breach our infrastructure and steal customer data to be targeted in their fraudulent activities," said Angel Redoble, FVP and chief information security officer of PLDT and Smart. "We believe that the recent smishing attacks are being perpetrated by local operators. We continue to work with law enforcement agencies to track down the criminals."
Globe Telecom Inc.'s mobile wallet service, GCash, also continues its initiatives to address text scams. GCash has removed clickable links from all emails and text messages sent to customers, ensuring they no longer receive messages containing website links.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has also called on its regulated financial institutions to implement strong actions in fighting against cyber fraud and other attacks on financial services.
"These changes are in line with our own #SafeWithGCash campaign that aims to ramp up investments, partnerships, as well as educational and awareness programs on keeping our services safe and secure for our 69 million users," stated Martha Sazon, president and chief executive officer of GCash. "The safety of our users is our utmost priority, and we continue to invest and implement world-class security measures to protect customer data."
Current Results of Ongoing Fight Against Scammers
By the first quarter of 2023, the NTC had confirmed a substantial reduction in the number of complaints related to text scams. The implementation of the SIM Registration Act led to a significant drop from 1,500 complaints per day to just 100.
Additionally, Globe, in conjunction with the enforcement of the SIM Registration Act, actively carried out its campaign against online fraud, intercepting approximately 1.1 billion scam messages during the first three months of the year.
Through Globe's Stop Spam portal, they reportedly blacklisted a total of 22,455 SIMs from January to March of this year.
Meanwhile, in February, Smart blocked over 38,000 mobile numbers involved in illegal activities. PLDT also confirmed that its Cyber Security Operations Group (CSOG) prevented more than 1.4 billion attempts to open malicious sites in the same month, including 200,000 pieces of content related to the online sexual abuse and exploitation of minors.
Finally, as of June 5, 2023, the NTC had recorded over 98 million registered SIM cards in the country, with the highest number coming from Smart, followed by Globe and DITO, respectively.
