Globe Telecom Inc. has deactivated 58,234 SIMs linked to fraud and malicious texts in the first half of the year through its stop spam portal.
The Ayala-led telco said the figure is a striking 226 percent increase from 17,851 during the equivalent period last year.
Over the six months, Globe has blacklisted 53,533 SIMs and deactivated an additional 4,701, demonstrating a robust commitment to protecting its customers and maintaining a secure network.
“As we stride forward into the digital age, our foremost commitment at Globe remains to ensure the safety and security of our valued customers. We have taken a strong stance against online fraud, as demonstrated by our stringent measures in deactivating and blacklisting SIMs, including providing a reporting mechanism for our customers through the Stop Spam portal,” Anton Bonifacio, Globe chief information security Ooficer, said.
“These actions are crucial steps towards building a safer, more trustworthy network and preserving the integrity of our communication channels,” he added.
Through the StopSpam portal, customers can simply upload screenshots of unwarranted text messages, and fill in necessary details such as the sender’s number or caller ID, the recipient’s number, and any suspicious links received.
In addition to blacklisting and deactivating SIMs, Globe also successfully intercepted a staggering 2.19 billion scam and spam messages just in the first half this year, an increase of about 360 percent compared to the 615.01 million messages blocked during the same period the previous year.
These efforts underscore Globe’s commitment to supporting the government’s fight against scammers and fraudsters, in line with the SIM Registration Act. The law mandates individuals to register and present valid identification to telecom entities to keep their mobile and broadband services active.
In its persistent fight against spam and scam messages, Globe has made substantial investments in detection and blocking systems.
The company invested $20 million in its Security Operations Center, which operates 24/7 to screen unwanted messages from both international and domestic sources.
