iscover
Share this article on:
Powered by
MOMENTUM
MEDIA
The Albanese government is bringing the fight to SMS scammers with a new mandatory register.
In a release today (3 December), Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland announced the mandatory Sender ID Register, which will prevent SMS scams by obligating telcos to verify if messages being sent as a brand are coming from the legitimate registered sender.
“If the sender ID is not on the register, the ACMA will either block the SMS or include a warning,” said the release.
As the release states, SMS messages are the most commonly reported attack vector for scammers, who will pose as legitimate brands or agencies to trick victims into handing over personal data, credentials and financial information.
Scammers often impersonate big four banks, service providers like Opal and Linkt, and government services like myGov. The register aims to mitigate these scams, reducing their impact and frequency.
“The SMS Sender ID Register is an important tool to protect hard-working Australians from increasingly sophisticated and organised scammers,” said Minister Rowland.
“We’ve all received scam messages on our phones purporting to be from reputable sources – and it’s costing Australians millions of dollars every year. This mandatory register will enable these messages to be blocked or flagged as a scam – better protecting consumers from being cheated.
“In this way, the register will also help restore trust in communications received from legitimate organisations and make Australia an even harder place for scammers to operate.”
For the rollout of the register, Rowland will oversee the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for the establishment of “an enforceable industry standard” that requires telcos to screen SMS senders against the register.
The government expects the register will be ready by late 2025.
The Sender ID Register comes as part of the government’s $168 million investment to tackle scammers and joins previous efforts, including the establishment of the Scams Prevention Framework and the National Anti-Scam Centre.
In the 2023–24 federal budget, the government allocated $10 million for the launch of the register by the ACMA, including maintaining it once it has been established.
“Our coordinated approach to keeping Australians safe from scammers is among the most comprehensive in the world, and the register will help to bolster our defences against the criminal scammers,” said Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones.
“Scam text messages bombard Australians 24/7. The register will help to shut this down by disrupting the scammers’ business model.
“The government’s crackdown on scams is already showing signs of success, but it is not job done. We continue to work to ensure Australians have the best protections against these predatory and criminal scams.”
Be the first to hear the latest developments in the cyber industry.
