Be aware of scammers impersonating as IMDA officers and report any suspicious calls to the police. Please note that IMDA officers will never call you nor request for your personal information. For scam-related advice, please call the Anti-Scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or go to www.scamalert.sg.

Enhanced measures against scam SMS

Be careful if you receive SMS labelled as “Likely-SCAM” from 31 Jan 2023.

SINGAPORE – 25 JAN 2023

As part of the measures announced by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in October last year, all organisations that send SMS using alphanumeric Sender IDs are required to register with the Singapore SMS Sender ID Registry (“SSIR”). This registration is to better protect consumers against non-registered SMS that may be scams.

Consumers receiving SMS labelled as “Likely-SCAM” to exercise caution

From 31 January 2023, non-registered SMS will be labelled as “Likely-SCAM”. This functions similarly to a “spam filter and spam bin”. Consumers may receive non-registered SMS labelled as “Likely-SCAM”. Consumers are advised to exercise caution. If unsure, consumers are encouraged to check with family and friends. Collectively, this will enhance our resilience against scams. (Please see Annex A (111.13KB) for an example of what a “Likely-SCAM” SMS will look like)

Organisations advised to register Sender IDs

All organisations that use alphanumeric Sender IDs must register early with the SSIR. This is to give adequate time as non-registered SMS Sender IDs after 31 January 2023 will be labelled as “Likely-SCAM”. Organisations which have not registered their Sender IDs are advised to do so.

As of January 2023, more than 1,200 organisations, using more than 2,600 SMS Sender IDs, have already registered. This includes financial institutions, e-commerce operators, logistics providers, and SMEs that send SMS to their customers which have registered with the SSIR.

Over the past months, IMDA had reached out to organisations through aggregators and associations such as Singapore Business Federation, the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Banks in Singapore, to encourage them to sign up for the SSIR.

IMDA continues to partner the public in the fight against scams

The new mandatory SSIR regime forms part of an ongoing multi-layered approach to strengthen protection against scams. This has been done with the telecom operators to systemically reduce scam calls and SMS coming through the communication networks. Since the setting up of the SSIR in March 2022, there was a 64% reduction in scams through SMS from Q4 2021 to Q2 2022. Scam cases perpetrated via SMS made up around 8% of scam reports in Q2 2022, down from 10% in 2021. (Please see Annex B (163.01KB) for a summary of the multi-layered approach to combat scam SMS and scam calls).

Combatting scams is a whole of society effort, and the public should continue to remain vigilant. Scammers will continue to change their methods and tactics and there is no fool-proof measure even as we continue to monitor and implement additional safeguards. IMDA will continue to work with other stakeholders in the fight against scams. A discerning public is the key in this fight, where consumers are individually alert and raise collective awareness by sharing scam prevention tips with friends and loved ones.

For more information, visit: go.gov.sg/antiscam-measures

Resources:

LAST UPDATED: 25 JUL 2024

Issued by the Infocomm Media Development Authority

About Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) leads Singapore’s digital transformation with infocomm media. To do this, IMDA will develop a dynamic digital economy and a cohesive digital society, driven by an exceptional infocomm media (ICM) ecosystem – by developing talent, strengthening business capabilities, and enhancing Singapore's ICM infrastructure. IMDA also regulates the telecommunications and media sectors to safeguard consumer interests while fostering a pro-business environment, and enhances Singapore’s data protection regime through the Personal Data Protection Commission.

For more news and information, visit www.imda.gov.sg or follow IMDA on LinkedIn (@IMDA), Facebook (@IMDAsg) and Instagram (@IMDAsg).

For media clarifications, please contact:

(Mr) CHOO Hong Xian
Manager
(Communications and Marketing)
Infocomm Media Development Authority
Email: media@imda.gov.sg

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