Organisation urges government to make legislation against text scammers mandatory
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You might have experienced the sinking feeling of receiving a suspicious text message, leaving you to wonder whether it's a genuine alert from your bank or a cleverly disguised scam.
For those duped by such messages, the consequences can be more than just a nuisance; they can lead to significant financial loss.
However, there's a ray of hope on the horizon.
The Australian government has taken a proactive step by introducing legislation to disrupt the operations of text scammers before they can reach their intended victims.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has been empowered to establish and manage an SMS Sender ID Register.
This tool will enable telecommunications companies to verify if messages sent under a brand name are from a legitimate source.
Sender IDs are crucial as they inform consumers about the origin of a text message.
Under the new system, if a sender ID is found to be fraudulent, the message could be blocked or flagged with a warning.
This initiative responded to the alarming 37 per cent increase in SMS scams reported last year, with nearly two-thirds of Australians encountering a scam attempt.
Scammers have been particularly fond of using SMS, which led to consumer losses amounting to $26.9 million in 2022.
During a pilot phase, the Sender ID Registry operated on a voluntary basis, allowing brands to decide whether to register their sender IDs.
Messages using registered sender IDs were permitted, while unregistered IDs were not automatically blocked.
Following the pilot, the push for a mandatory registry has gained momentum. Feedback indicated that 89 per cent of participants supported making registration compulsory.
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has been a vocal advocate for this, urging the government to implement a mandatory register backed by a strong compliance framework.
ACCAN's Acting CEO, Gareth Downing, emphasised that such a register is vital for improving outcomes for consumers affected by scams.
‘We encourage the government to go a step further, taking heed of overwhelming feedback during the consultation process to make the Register mandatory to enhance its effectiveness,’ Downing said.
‘The Register will facilitate greater confidence between the senders and recipients of SMS communications—benefiting consumers, small businesses and service providers.’
The effectiveness of mandatory registers is not just theoretical. International examples, such as Singapore, have seen a significant 64 per cent drop in scam SMS messages after implementing mandatory registers.
ACCAN urged the government to consider this evidence and the overwhelming support from the consultation process to enhance the register's effectiveness.
If you suspect you’ve been scammed, you may report it to Scamwatch here.
You can also head to our Scam Watch forum to stay updated with the latest tricks scammers use to deceive people about their money and sensitive details.
Have you encountered any SMS Scams recently? What measures do you take to protect yourself? Share your stories in the comments below!
For those duped by such messages, the consequences can be more than just a nuisance; they can lead to significant financial loss.
However, there's a ray of hope on the horizon.
The Australian government has taken a proactive step by introducing legislation to disrupt the operations of text scammers before they can reach their intended victims.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has been empowered to establish and manage an SMS Sender ID Register.
This tool will enable telecommunications companies to verify if messages sent under a brand name are from a legitimate source.
The government has taken steps to combat the operations of text scammers. Credit: Shutterstock
Sender IDs are crucial as they inform consumers about the origin of a text message.
Under the new system, if a sender ID is found to be fraudulent, the message could be blocked or flagged with a warning.
This initiative responded to the alarming 37 per cent increase in SMS scams reported last year, with nearly two-thirds of Australians encountering a scam attempt.
Scammers have been particularly fond of using SMS, which led to consumer losses amounting to $26.9 million in 2022.
During a pilot phase, the Sender ID Registry operated on a voluntary basis, allowing brands to decide whether to register their sender IDs.
Messages using registered sender IDs were permitted, while unregistered IDs were not automatically blocked.
Following the pilot, the push for a mandatory registry has gained momentum. Feedback indicated that 89 per cent of participants supported making registration compulsory.
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has been a vocal advocate for this, urging the government to implement a mandatory register backed by a strong compliance framework.
ACCAN's Acting CEO, Gareth Downing, emphasised that such a register is vital for improving outcomes for consumers affected by scams.
‘We encourage the government to go a step further, taking heed of overwhelming feedback during the consultation process to make the Register mandatory to enhance its effectiveness,’ Downing said.
‘The Register will facilitate greater confidence between the senders and recipients of SMS communications—benefiting consumers, small businesses and service providers.’
The effectiveness of mandatory registers is not just theoretical. International examples, such as Singapore, have seen a significant 64 per cent drop in scam SMS messages after implementing mandatory registers.
ACCAN urged the government to consider this evidence and the overwhelming support from the consultation process to enhance the register's effectiveness.
If you suspect you’ve been scammed, you may report it to Scamwatch here.
You can also head to our Scam Watch forum to stay updated with the latest tricks scammers use to deceive people about their money and sensitive details.
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