The Australian government has introduced a new initiative aimed at combating SMS scams by mandating the verification of messages sent from reputable brands. This will be achieved through the establishment of a national SMS sender ID register, which will include trusted entities like CommBank, Linkt, and MyGov. Any text messages dispatched from brands not listed on this register will either be blocked or flagged by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland highlighted the importance of this measure in protecting Australians from increasingly sophisticated scammers, noting the substantial financial losses they incur from fraudulent messages. She explained that by implementing this mandatory register, consumers will be better protected, and trust in communications from legitimate organisations will be restored.
In the 2023-24 Federal Budget, the government allocated $10 million for this project, with the register expected to open for sender ID registrations by late 2025, following extensive consultations with telecommunications companies and affected brands. Reports from Scamwatch indicate that over $11 million has already been lost to SMS scams this year, underscoring the urgency of this initiative.