Globe warns against rising OTT spam, scam messages

MANILA, Philippines — Ayala-led Globe Telecom Inc. has warned consumers against the increasing number of spam and scam messages using over-the-top (OTT) media services such as chat apps.

In a statement yesterday, Globe said that while spam and scam messages have declined since the SIM Registration Act was enforced, fraudsters are now using popular OTT platforms such as chat apps as a new way to target phishing victims.

In this new tactic, the scammer creates a sense of familiarity and trust by using the target’s full name in the message and pretending to be a mixed connection or by making various offers.

Scammers use both overseas and local numbers and mostly appear as business accounts with attractive profile photos to dupe individuals.

Globe chief information security officer Anton Bonifacio advised consumers to be more proactive as scammers take advantage of the shift to a more digital lifestyle.

“Embracing the digital world comes with its own set of risks, so we must remain vigilant in safeguarding our online presence. As technology advances, so do the tactics of fraudsters and scammers. The best way to combat this is to never engage with these messages and to block such senders immediately,” he said.

As OTT messages are beyond the telco scope, he emphasized the importance of awareness as a first line of defense.

“By staying informed and adopting personal security measures, we can navigate the digital landscape with confidence and protect ourselves from evolving cyber threats,” he said.

The company continues to block unwanted SMS (short message services) including app-to-person and person-to-person text messages from international and domestic sources, through a 24/7 Security Operations Center.

Close to 1.1 billion scam and spam messages were blocked by the company in the first quarter of the year, a five-fold jump from the 217.31 million unwanted and unsolicited messages blocked in the same period last year.

Blacklisted SIMs from Globe’s Stop Spam portal also soared to 22,455 in the first quarter from 1,812 in the same period a year ago.

Globe also deactivated 647 SIMs, 610 of which were involved in sending scam or fraud messages, while the remaining 37 were used in sending spam messages.

Amid an intensified campaign against fraudsters and scammers, Globe blocked 2.72 billion scam and spam messages last year, more than double the 1.15 billion in 2021.

It also deactivated 20,225 SIMs and blacklisted 35,333 SIMs last year.

Globe has renewed its call to customers to register their SIMs before the July 25 extended deadline to help stop the proliferation of such illegal activities.