Scam texts will be easier to detect with changes to business IDs

Australians will soon find it easier to detect scam text messages as new regulations take effect on July 1. Messages sent using sender IDs not registered on an official list will be automatically flagged as "unverified" by mobile phones.

This initiative targets the growing problem of scammers impersonating organizations like the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and government service portal myGov. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) reported that Australians lost almost $18 million to SMS scams in the past year. While reported scam contact via text message has decreased significantly, the new rules aim to provide an additional layer of consumer protection.

“

If a message is marked as 'unverified' people should treat it with extra caution and not click on any links or provide personal information.

"If a message is marked as 'unverified' people should treat it with extra caution and not click on any links or provide personal information," said ACMA spokesperson Samantha Yorke. Telecommunication companies will inform customers about the upcoming changes. Professor of cybersecurity practice at Edith Cowan University, Paul Haskell-Dowland, believes the new system will enhance protection against common scam tactics. "We're going to get an increased level of protection for the most likely vehicles that criminals are using to attack us purporting to be a bank and purporting to be the ATO," he stated.

“

We're going to get an increased level of protection for the most likely vehicles that criminals are using to attack us purporting to be a bank and purporting to be the ATO.