Poe: Time to get tough on text scams
Published Jul 26, 2023 10:04 am
Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate public services committee, on Wednesday, July 26,  said authorities can now train their sights on running after scammers who continue to defraud the public using the subscriber identity module (SIM) of mobile phones.
               Sen. Grace Poe (Senate PRIB Photo)
With the end of the SIM registration on July 25, Poe said there should be no room for fraudsters to carry out their schemes without being tracked and be made accountable. Poe emphasized that the end of SIM registration signals the beginning of intensified crackdown on mobile phone scammers. She is the author and sponsor of the Republic Act 11934, or the SIM Registration Act. With the law, the chairperson of the Senate committee on public services pointed out that the Philippine National Police (PNP) and concerned enforcement agencies now have mechanisms and reliable data to monitor SIM-related crimes. The law seeks to end crimes using text scams by mandating SIM registration. It requires all telecommunications providers to submit a verified list of their authorized dealers and agents nationwide to the National Telecommunications Commission and an updated list of the same every quarter of each year. Poe assured the public anew that the law has safeguards on consumers' right to privacy for a secure mobile use. The government is expected to start deactivating unregistered mobile numbers which will result in the loss of mobile services like calls, data and texts, unless they reactivate their SIM. A five-day grace period was given to mobile owners to reactivate their SIM through registration, or else the telecommunication company (telco) provider will block the number for good. Poe urged telcos to continue assisting legitimate mobile users who will need help to reactivate their SIM in the period provided. "We must give chance to those who only lacked the means to register while denying those who have vile motives," she said.