Globe blocks 71M spam messages, deactivates over 5k spam numbers

Globe Telecom Inc. deactivated 5,670 confirmed spam numbers and blocked 71 million spam messages, this year alone via a dedicated cybersecurity team.

The telco's team is part of a larger internal Cybersecurity and Data Privacy group that proactively deals with spammers and scams.

Globe terminates and blocks numbers of detected spammers through its systems, including those reported through www.globe.com.ph/stopspam.

“We take unsolicited and fraudulent messages seriously and protecting Globe customers from these scams remains a top business priority,” confirmed Anton Bonifacio, Globe's Chief Information Security Officer.

Since the pandemic started, the telco invested an additional $7.25 million in capex just to enhance the anti-spam capabilities of its network.

Globe also partnered with major universal and commercial banks, as well as Lazada and Shopee, to minimize not just spam but also scams and phishing activities.

The partner companies report fake numbers, spoofed sender names and websites, which Globe in turn blocks in its network immediately, as they are reported.

While the telco controls spam on the network side, customers can also curb spam on the "device" side.

Customers can use the "Messages" app by Google as their default Android SMS messenger for instance, since the app has built-in spam filters similar to how a "Google Mail" user may have built-in spam filters.

“Given the ongoing pandemic, many businesses are struggling to get their products across to consumers. This has contributed to a surge in unsolicited marketing campaigns from digital marketers or spammers, who use existing number databases culled from public information or online data,” Bonifacio warned.

Knowing the inconveniences and problems arising from text messaging scams, Globe continues to intensify its efforts to create a spam-free experience for customers.