THE Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators (PCTO) has urged for collaboration among industry players, government agencies and stakeholders to address the surge in scam messages sent to mobile users outside telco networks.
Froilan Castelo, PCTO president and Globe Telecom Inc. general counsel, said the new wave of scam messages is worrisome as fraudsters have resorted to methods that do not pass through telco networks, and are able to evade the telco’s robust filters.
“Industry players and key stakeholders must work closely together to combat this trend. Let’s focus on finding ways to defeat our common enemy: scammers,” Castelo said.
Methods that evade telco networks include the use of over-the-top media services or chat apps, Rich Communication Services chats for Android users, and other Internet-based messaging platforms.
Through these means, fraudsters can send messages to target users even while using foreign mobile numbers.
Another persistent headache is the use of international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) catchers or fake cell towers to target mobile users within a certain area, PCTO said.
These portable devices simulate cell towers to intercept mobile communications within a particular area, allowing fraudsters to directly connect with SIMs and send them messages using imitated sender IDs, including official accounts, it added. Called spoofing, this method also evades telco networks.
Spoofing is especially difficult for mobile users to detect as it allows fraudsters to send out short messaging service (SMS) that appears to be official advisories from reputable sources, directing victims to malicious online pages through embedded clickable links, PCTO said.
To combat this, telcos like Globe earlier stopped using clickable links in its official customer advisories and also issued several reminders to customers to call for vigilance amid this rising scam trend.
Industry players are working with authorities to find a solution to spoofing, including cutting off the source by preventing the importation of spoofing devices.
PCTO renewed its call for vigilance against fraud, urging the public to never engage with unsolicited messages received via any platform.
“At the end of the day, the first line of defense for mobile users is themselves. Be vigilant and discerning against messages from unknown numbers, and never click on any link inside unsolicited messages. More often than not, these messages are meant to defraud you,” said Castelo.
In a separate statement, PCTO member PLDT Inc. and its wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. have ramped up the fight against scammers, clamping down on those that use fraudulently registered SIMs to commit crimes.
From January to May of this year, Smart has blacklisted more than 615,788 mobile numbers tied to illicit and fraudulent activities, including spamming and SMShing scams.
This number includes all fraudulently registered SIMs, purged through Smart’s strict validation process of all SIM registrations. Smart said it continues to strengthen its SIM registration controls.
