Globe Telecom reported that it had observed a significant decline in blocked spam SMS messages in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year.

The firm said this shows a noticeable shift of illegal activities to other channels as scammers adapt to circumvent anti-fraud measures.

In the second quarter of 2024, Globe intercepted over 236 million spam short message service (SMS), or text messages, a substantial drop from the over 1.1 billion messages blocked in the same quarter of 2023. This is a substantial 79 percent year-on-year decline.

So far, blocked spam SMS messages in 2024 have been declining, with a 35 percent decrease from 362.8 million messages blocked in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the year’s second quarter.

Further supporting this trend, the number of deactivated SIMs reported via Globe’s #StopScam portal from April to June 2024 fell to 504 from 4,054 in the same period the previous year, marking an 88 percent decrease.

Between the first and second quarters of 2024, the drop was 40 percent, with the first three months of 2024 recording 841 deactivated numbers. Deactivated numbers include SIMs within the Globe network.

Meanwhile, the total blacklisted numbers from competitor networks are also declining, albeit still substantial, from 31,078 in the second quarter of 2023 to 11,026 in the second quarter of 2024, indicating a 65 percent reduction YoY and a 70 percent decrease from this year's first quarter total of 36,549.

“We have observed a consistent decline in spam SMS– those that pass through the cellular network– as we continue to implement stringent filtering systems, including blocking person-to-person SMS with links,” said Globe Chief Information Security Officer and Chief AI Officer Anton Bonifacio.

He added, “We reiterate our advice to our customers to remain vigilant and never engage with any unsolicited message they receive, whether via SMS or chat apps, particularly those with dubious offers.”

Globe said that while these figures demonstrate the effectiveness of its current spam filtering systems, they also highlight a change in scam tactics that evade cellular networks.

Currently, spoofed SMS, a method that bypasses telecom networks’ spam filters, is posing an increasing threat, making detection and prevention particularly challenging.

Spoofing is a technique in which unscrupulous persons or groups impersonate SMS channels to lure unsuspecting victims into sharing personal information or clicking on malicious links. This can potentially lead to financial losses or compromised data security.

Spoofed SMS uses International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers or fake cell towers. These devices simulate cell towers to intercept mobile communications within a certain radius, compelling phones to connect and receive spoofed SMS messages directly. These messages do not pass through the cellular network, evading telco filters.

Fraudsters are also shifting to over the top media services or chatapps, Rich Communication Services (RCS) chats for Android users, and other Internet-based messaging platforms to send messages to target users even while using foreign numbers or email addresses. These messages also do not pass through the cellular network.

"As we tighten our defenses against spam SMS, we are also aware that scammers are continuously evolving their methods. Globe is committed to staying ahead of these threats by enhancing our security protocols across all channels. Our goal is to protect our customers from fraud, ensuring their trust in our services remains unshaken,” said Bonifacio.

The company is stepping up its efforts to combat fraud by deploying advanced network probes to detect and neutralize IMSI catchers and fake base stations.  It also continues to proactively block SMS with links.