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The Australian Communications and Media Authority has worked with telcos to stop a staggering number of scam texts.
The AMCA has released stunning figures detailing the number of scam texts that have been stopped by telcos working under the Reducing Scam Calls and Scam SMS Industry Code.
Between them, Australian telcos have stopped more than 336.7 million scam texts between July 2022 and September 2023.
“These figures provide stark evidence of the scale of scam activity, with approximately 16 scam texts being blocked for every adult in the country,” said ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin in a statement.
“There is no single or easy solution to address scams; however, every scam stopped is a win for consumers and helps make Australia a harder target for these criminal syndicates.
“These are promising results to report during Scams Awareness Week as telcos build their capability to help stop the relentless attacks by scammers.”
In addition, the ACMA is working to develop a pilot program of a Sender ID Registry that will help combat scammers faking messages from brands and agencies, such as MyGov. According to the ACMA, the registry won’t stop scams, but it will stop them from sliding into already existing message threads on a phone.
O’Loughlin also has a message for Australians to be extra careful in the coming weeks.
“The lead-up to the end-of-year holidays is often used by scammers to step up their activities – including via fake parcel delivery messages.
“We encourage Australians to think about who’s really contacting them and to discuss how to identify scams with their friends, family, and loved ones,” O’Loughlin said.
“It pays to slow down and think before acting on a call or message, and always research and independently check who you’re dealing with.”
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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