Globe, government to block import of digital fraud services

May 24, 2024 | 12:00 AM

Froilan Castelo, Globe’s general counsel, said there is a need to step up enforcement to stop identity theft. Spoofing is when a fraudster uses a device called an international phone to send malicious text to a SIM (subscriber identity module) in a specific region, pretending to be a legitimate sender ID. Mobile Subscriber Identity Information (IMSI) catcher.

STAR / File

MANILA, Philippines — Major telecommunications company Globe Telecom Inc. has launched an effort to collaborate with law enforcement agencies to stop the importation of equipment used in electronic and telecommunication fraud.

Globe general counsel Froilan Castelo said enforcement needs to be stepped up to stop spoofing cases, in which scammers use devices called International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers to send malicious texts to SIMs (subscriber identity modules) in certain regions, masquerading as legitimate sender IDs.

These mobile devices are fully or partially imported into the Philippines for assembly and then used for illegal activities. IMSI Catcher can be carried on foot or in a car and can target his SIM in a specific area and force it to downgrade to his 2G, an older cellular network technology for voice calls and text messages. Scammers can send malicious SMS to phones connected to fake cell towers, pretending they are legitimate.

“We are working with governments to block the importation and use of IMSI catchers, the main tool enabling these security breaches. We need stronger enforcement of laws regarding spoofing and the proliferation of this illegal equipment,” Castelo noted.

He said the urgent measures were needed amid a rise in spoofing cases, where scammers are faking legitimate, trusted sender IDs, making it harder for mobile users to realise they are being tricked.

“SMS spoofing is already criminalized under the Cybercrime Prevention Act. Therefore, we are actively working with law enforcement to ensure these spoofers are apprehended,” Castelo said. Ta.

Globe has stepped up its crackdown on scam and spam SMS through stricter blocks, including filtering out all person-to-person SMS with links and enforcing stricter restrictions on app-to-person SMS with URLs, resulting in an increase in reports of spoofing among mobile phone users.

In response to the spoofing incidents, Globe has stopped using clickable links in its official customer advisories to help mobile users more easily distinguish between genuine and spoofed SMS.

On April 22, the Cyber ​​Crime Investigation Coordination Center (CICC) issued a warning regarding the spread of a fake SMS-based Globe Rewards promotional campaign by a major telecommunications company.

In his advisory, CICC Secretary General and ICT Undersecretary Alexander Ramos warned the public that scammers may pose as agents or representatives of Globe Telecom and solicit registrations for rewards programs, collect personal and bank account details of unsuspecting victims, and even trick them into transferring money to unsuspecting subscribers.

Ramos said the globeeph.top domain targets vulnerable customers via Short Message Service (SMS).

In addition to our anti-identity efforts, Globe continues to educate customers on how to protect themselves from various forms of digital fraud.