MANILA — Globe Telecom has renewed its call to customers to be cautious of unsolicited messages they receive from unknown numbers via over-the-top (OTT) media services or chat apps, assuring them that it was taking action against mobile numbers using its network to send such messages.
Globe stated that it was aware of an increase in incidents as a result of stronger SMS regulation under the SIM Registration Act.
According to Globe’s chief information security officer, Anton Reynaldo Bonifacio, fraudsters are exploiting OTT services to evade spam filters on telecom networks, with many using overseas numbers.
“OTT messages are not SIM-based and do not pass through telco networks. Therefore, we have no control over them. What Globe can do is, once we confirm that an OTT account associated with a Globe number has been used for fraud, we deactivate this SIM. It is important to note that many OTT accounts targeting Philippine mobile users use foreign SIMs, which are outside the scope of Philippine telcos,” Bonifacio said.
“This is why it is important for customers that use OTT services to be more vigilant. Never engage with chat messages from numbers they do not know, including those making various offers. Please block these numbers and report them to the chat app you’re using,” he said.
Globe has spearheaded an effort to combat spam and scam messages, working with government agencies and various private sector partners to constantly step up efforts against fraud within areas under its control.
Globe was the first telco to block all person-to-person SMS messages with clickable links within its network in September 2022, a measure enforced industry-wide last month by the National Telecommunications Commission.
Globe reported that as of the end of September of this year, it has blocked 150,287 numbers connected to SMS fraud, deactivated 4,733 SIM cards, and blocked 2.59 billion spam and scam messages. In order to prevent other networks’ numbers from sending SMS messages to Globe SIMs, the telecom deactivates SIMS from its own network that have been connected to fraud and blacklists such numbers.
Globe also operates a 24/7 Security Operations Center to filter out unwanted messages from international and local numbers. It has spent $20 million in total to improve its spam and scam SMS blocking and detection systems.
Customers are urged to enable spam filters on their devices and to report unsolicited SMS messages via Globe’s #StopSpam portal, which can be found at https://www.globe.com.ph/stop-spam.html.
