Ayala-led Globe blocked a total of 2.72 billion scam and spam messages last year, more than double the1.15 billion filtered out in 2021 as it stepped up its campaign against text fraud.
Globe also blocked 83.4 million bank-related spam messages in 2022.
It partnered with all major commercial banks and online retailers in the country to ensure quick and efficient information exchange for a more efficient response to spam and fraud SMS.
“Our customers are our top priority so we do our best to ensure that they are protected from scammers and fraudsters. We will continue to invest in cybersecurity systems and work tirelessly to provide them with a safe and enjoyable online experience as we also take part in the full implementation of the SIM Registration Act,” said Anton Bonifacio, Globe chief information security officer.
Globe has spent about $20 million to step up its spam and scam SMS detection and blocking system.
In an industry first, Globe also started blocking person-to-person SMS with clickable URLs from all networks in September last year amid growing concern over escalating scam and spam messages, particularly those containing mobile users’ full names.
In just two weeks after enforcing its unprecedented measure, Globe blocked over 32.2 million scam and spam text messages with clickable links, or an average of 2.4 million SMS daily from September 28 to October 13, 2022.
