S
Sean Camara
Guest
Telstra introduces new feature that filters scam messages — “If an SMS message looks suspicious, we’ll block it before it reaches you”
Telecoms provider Telstra has recently introduced a brand-new feature that filters and blocks annoying scams and malicious text messages before they reach their users' phones.
The company said that the feature has automatically been activated on millions of mobile devices connected to the Telstra and Belong networks.
The company's statement read: “Scam text messages are not only annoying, but they’re also malicious and have the potential to steal your money or install malware to steal personal information, hack your internet banking and infect your contacts.”
“We know the number of scam text messages on our network is on the rise – in 2021 we had more than 11,000 reports of malicious texts to Android devices compared with 50 reports in 2020."
“That’s why we’ve turned on a brand-new feature to find and block SMS scam messages with suspicious links as they travel across our network and stop many of them before they reach your mobile device.”
The new feature blocks text messages containing suspicious links and content. Credit: Sunrise.
So, how does the feature work?
The extension scans the messages to identify any suspicious content, including malicious links as well as examine their properties and patterns such as the time, sender, the number of messages sent, and the recipient.
“If an SMS message looks suspicious, we’ll block it before it reaches you,” the statement continued.
For the Telstra subscribers who are worried that the company will read their text messages, CEO Andy Penn assured users that their rights to data privacy will still be protected.
Telstra CEO Andy Penn assured customers that their rights to data privacy will remain protected. Credit: phys.org.
He said that while most text messages will automatically be scanned, only those that have been flagged as suspicious will be checked by a "specialist".
He explained: “Machines are looking out for clues as to whether SMS is suspicious or not.”
“If we have to have something looked at, everything is anonymised, we don’t know whose it is or where it’s come from or where it’s going to.”
“Like anything in life, it’s not 100 per cent guaranteed. We reckon we can take 100 messages a month, but people should be wary when they receive something that looks a little bit suspicious.”
Telstra and Belong customers who wish to turn off the feature are advised to send an SMS to 0438 214 682 with the words FILTER OFF.
The feature can also be turned back on by sending a message to 0438 214 682 saying FILTER ON.
What are your thoughts on this? Should every telecom provider adapt this system to prevent scams? We also encourage you to visit the Scam Watch thread for the scams to watch out for.
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