Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has partnered with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to combat the rising threat of fake cell towers used to facilitate text scams. The collaboration aims to safeguard mobile subscribers from phishing attempts and other deceptive schemes.
Roy D. Ibay, Smart first vice president for regulatory affairs, explained that while Smart has strengthened its defenses with advanced firewalls to block malicious SMS, scammers are increasingly using fake cell towers. These counterfeit towers mimic legitimate ones to bypass telco networks and directly target subscribers with fraudulent messages.
Such texts often deceive recipients into clicking on harmful links that lead to phishing websites designed to steal personal information. The joint efforts between Smart and the NTC focus on identifying and shutting down these schemes, with NTC commissioner Ella Blanca B. Lopez emphasizing the importance of industry cooperation in fighting technology-enabled fraud.
Smart is also working closely with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to support investigations and apprehend those behind these illegal activities. The company encourages subscribers to report suspicious messages via its HULISCAM portal or its customer service channels. By actively blocking fraudulent SIMs and sharing real-time data, Smart is taking proactive steps to protect its users from text-based scams.
Subscribers can report scams on the HULISCAM portal or through Smart’s social media pages and hotline *888.
