Globe: SIMS sending spam, scam messages deactivated

Globe Telecom, Inc. has deactivated and blacklisted last year more than 55,000 SIMS (subscriber identity module) that are involved in scam and spam messages.

The move is part of the mobile phone firm’s efforts to intensify consumer protection initiatives amid the rising cases of online fraud.

Globe said it deactivated 20,225 SIMS and blacklisted 35,333 SIMS.

This was on top of the record 2.72 billion scam and spam messages it blocked last year, 83.4 million of which were bank-related. All these efforts have been ongoing to protect customers from harmful content and fraud before the enactment of the SIM Registration Act.

“Globe recognizes the growing threat posed by scammers, who use various tactics, including text messages, to deceive innocent victims into giving up personal information that could be used to compromise their financial accounts.

We will continue to invest in our cybersecurity program to protect our customers from these unscrupulous individuals,” Anton Bonifacio, Globe Chief Information Security Officer, said in a statement.

Under its filtering protocol, Globe deactivates SIMS within its network once detected to have been involved in fraud. Meanwhile, SIMS outside of the Globe network are blacklisted to prevent them from sending to Globe.

Globe also reported on Thursday that it has logged 10.4 million registrations of prepaid SIMS. Under Republic Act 11934, also known as the SIM Registration Act, all mobile and broadband users are required to register their SIMS with their respective service providers to ensure that they are properly identified.