Outcry over nuisance emails and SMS

ANNOYING emails are invading our lives, with an eye-watering number of us now complaining to authorities. But the pests have a new target, prompting “priority” investigations from regulators.

AUSTRALIANS are being bombarded with scam and spam emails and text messages, with hundreds of thousands of reports and complaints lodged each year.

Malicious content impersonating organisations such as energy and telco companies and the Australian Taxation Office to try to steal personal details are among the latest threats.

Marketing pests accused of sending unsolicited SMS are also increasingly annoying consumers, prompting “priority” investigations by the ­nation’s communications regulator.

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The Australian Communications and Media Authority recorded a staggering 872,661 total spam reports last financial year, figures released to the Herald Sun reveal.

Many related to malware or other malicious emails detected in spam filters or forwarded from junk folders.

ACMA received 872,661 spam reports last financial year.

“Report data and complaints are used to identify marketing compliance problems and emerging scams and phishing threats,” ACMA unsolicited communications executive manager Jeremy Fenton said.

The regulator also received 3309 formal email and SMS spam complaints — a 38 per cent surge compared with the previous year. Many were from frustrated consumers claiming legitimate companies contacted them without permission.

Online retailers, businesses spruiking holidays, gambling, entertainment, food and drink, and business and financial services attracted the most unsolicited marketing gripes.

Mr Fenton said commercial electronic messages should be sent only with recipients’ ­consent, include the name and contact details of the ­individual or organisation that authorised the message, and allow consumers to opt out.

Commercial electronic messages should only be sent with consent. Picture: Supplied.

Some complainants are unaware they have consented to be contacted, such as when entering competitions or ticking boxes on forms.

“Always check the fine print and make informed choices,” he advised.

In other cases, details were illegitimately obtained via directories or purchased lists.

The regulator this week revealed it had recently fined online hiring marketplace Service Seeking Pty Ltd $50,400 for sending SMS messages without consent, failing to clearly identify who authorised them, and not including an unsubscribe statement.

The messages were sent last May to 23 phone numbers, five of which were obtained from an online directory, the ACMA said.

Service Seeking did not respond to a request for comment.

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@KarenCollierHS