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Scammers are increasingly targeting people with fake messages claiming to be from Australian agencies and organisations.
The SMS scam epidemic has been steadily growing, and losses in 2022 have reached an all-time high, with A$28 million reported across Australia.
The numbers are only going up, with the first quarter of 2022 already seeing losses amounting to A$4 million – more than the total losses reported in 2020.
Unlike smishing which involves malicious links, the new type of phishing attack called “SMS spoofing” works by changing the sender information to make it appear that the message is coming from a familiar and reliable source.
In response to the overwhelming losses, the federal government recently announced the launch of The SMS sender ID registry, which could help prevent cybercriminals from sending fake texts posing as government agencies such as the ATO, myGov, and Australia Post.
The registry will contain information on all official senders of text messages, from government departments and agencies to banks, telcos, and other organisations.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), led by Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones and Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, has announced that it will examine different registry models to advise the federal government on what approach Australia should take.
“One more scam is one too many,” said Rowland.
“Fraudsters cause financial and immeasurable emotional and mental stress by impersonating legitimate organisations every day, and we thank the ACMA for its important work to help protect Australians.”
The UK’s SMS sender ID protection initiative has sparked a dramatic shift in how organisations use and protect their brands, with other countries worldwide now following suit. Ireland implemented its protection registry in July 2021, while Spain launched theirs six months later in December. Moreover, earlier this year, Singapore made it mandatory for organisations to register if they wished to use a sender ID.
This new initiative will benefit businesses and individuals in the long run, providing an extra layer of security and peace of mind.
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