SMS scams have cost Australians millions of dollars in 2024, and now the government has announced a new tool designed to help bring those losses down.
A mandatory SMS Sender ID Register will require telco providers to check whether messages being sent under a brand name correspond with the legitimate registered sender.
If the sender ID is not on the register, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will either block the SMS or include a warning.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the register would be an "important tool" to protect Australians from increasingly sophisticated scammers.
"We’ve all received scam messages on our phones purporting to be from reputable sources — and it’s costing Australians millions of dollars every year," she said.
"This mandatory register will enable these messages to be blocked or flagged as a scam — better protecting consumers from being cheated.
"In this way, the register will also help restore trust in communications received from legitimate organisations and make Australia an even harder place for scammers to operate."
The register is designed to help stop scammers from using the names of trusted brands, including banking institutions, service providers or government entities — such as ANZ, Linkt or myGov — and deceiving recipients into thinking the scam messages are from reputable sources.
According to Scamwatch, over $11 million in losses from text message scams have been reported this year so far. It's also the most commonly reported scam contact method, with over 68,000 incidents recorded.
Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones said the register would help "bolster defences" against scammers.
"Scam text messages bombard Australians 24/7. The register will help to shut this down by disrupting the scammers’ business model," he said.
The establishment of the mandatory register follows the passing of laws earlier this year, and forms part of the government's suite of measures designed to make Australia the "toughest target in the world" for scammers.
The government says it has provided $10 million through the 2023-24 federal budget to the ACMA over four years to launch and maintain the register.
It's expected to be open for registration of Sender IDs from late next year.
While development is underway, the pilot SMS Sender ID Register established by the ACMA and industry last December will continue to operate.
