Government's SMS ID register to block scammers pretending to be companies.
SMS scammers pretending to be banks, government services and other companies will be crippled by a new SMS ID register.
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A new SMS sender ID register will be launched to protect Australians from being scammed via text message.
Many scammers use SMS messages impersonating companies such as CommBank, Linkt or MyGov to get valuable personal details.
The Albanese is providing $10m to the communications watchdog to fund a national register of companies.
Messages will be verified against the register, with messages failing to match being either blocked or amended to include a warning.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority will administer the new register, which forms part of the Albanese government’s strategy to make Australia “the toughest target in the world for scammers.”
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the register would play a crucial role in disrupting the business model of scammers.
“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,” Ms Rowland said.
“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.”
According to ACMA, Australian telcos reported blocking more than 668.3 million scam SMS messages since July 2022.
Government website Scam Watch says SMS scams have long pretended “they are from the government, businesses you deal with or even your own family or friends to try to catch you out.”
“They sound urgent to get you to act quickly. They often have a link which will take you to a scam website.”
The government anticipates the register will be open for registration of Sender IDs from late 2025, following close consultation with telcos and the companies being impersonated.
In the meantime, a pilot register will continue to operate with the co-operation of NAB, CommBank, the ATO and other companies.
Originally published as Government's SMS ID register to block scammers pretending to be companies.
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