New SMS sender ID Registry to disrupt scams against Australians
The Government will provide more than $10 million to launch Australia’s first SMS sender ID Registry and help prevent scammers from spoofing industry or government brand names – such as Linkt or myGov – in text message headers to deceive Australian consumers.
Regulated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the Registry will have a phased introduction before an enforceable industry-wide model is in place, subject to rule making, industry readiness and security arrangements.
With over 47% of Australians reporting exposure to fake or deceiving text messages, the Registry is intended to assist telecommunications companies to stop scammers from imitating trusted and established brand names through SMS.
An estimated $3.1 billion is lost due to scam attacks nationally, making Australia one of the most susceptible nations worldwide to scam-related harms. Many of those scams targeting vulnerable Australians.
Find out more:
- Read the Minister's media release
- For information about identifying, reporting and protecting yourself from scams, visit scamwatch.gov.au