In their latest public advisory, Smart and TNT bared this new modus of scammers, whose message often comes with a link that leads to a phishing domain imitating the SIM registration portal of Smart.
"Smart did not send these messages. These messages are phishing attempts aimed at stealing your personal information," the telco said in its advisory.
TNT, the value brand of PLDT mobile services arm Smart Communications Inc. (Smart), has once again bagged prestigious recognitions for its impactful and viral SIM Registration campaign at the recent Asia Pacific (APAC) Effie Awards 2024 and YouTube Works Awards Philippines.
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Almost two years since SIM registration became mandatory, new fraud methods continue to emerge targeting vulnerable SIM users. Globe is calling on SIM users to remain vigilant and make safe SIM registration a personal responsibility.
“As much as we prioritize our customers’ safety, we also call on them to be part of the solution against persistent fraud. All things considered, the first line of defense against SIM-related fraud are the SIM users themselves. We hope they follow good personal safety practices to fend off fraud attempts,” said Eric Tanbauco, Officer-in-Charge (OIC) for Globe’s Consumer Mobile Business.
The SIM Registration Act, enacted in December 2022, mandates the registration of all SIMs to enhance public safety and security by serving as a deterrent against SIM-aided criminal activity.
The law requires SIM users to register using correct and complete details, including the submission of a verifiable photo ID. Customers may easily update their registration details as needed:
"We understand that life circumstances may change, and it's essential for customers to reflect those changes in their SIM registration information," said Darius Delgado, Globe Vice President and Head of Consumer Mobile Business. "Our goal is to make the update process as convenient as possible, ensuring that they remain compliant with the law while minimizing any potential disruptions to their mobile services."
The measures include implementing advanced encryption protocols to secure data transmitted during the registration process and introducing live photo capture technology to prevent the use of stock or pre-existing photos.
To combat the submission of fraudulent documents, Globe continues to use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. This allows the matching of text entries on the SIM registration form with data on a SIM user’s uploaded ID, significantly reducing the chances of having fake or doctored documents pass through the system.
Additionally, Globe has limited the number of ID submission retries to prevent random or repeated attempts to register with fictitious documents.
Renews call for consultations with gov’t on improvements in National ID rollout, law enforcement
Mobile leader Globe welcomed the release of new guidelines by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to improve the ID verification in the SIM registration process.
As customer protection remains its top priority, Globe asserts that the effective implementation of the SIM Registration Act requires close collaboration and consultation among key industry stakeholders, regulators and law enforcement agencies.
At the recent Senate hearing, a concern was raised with regard to the acceptance of an animal photo in lieu of a real person's ID. This placed the quality of verification in the SIM registration process into question.
Even as Globe has fully complied with the requirements of the SIM Registration Act resulting in the registration of 54M SIMs, there remain areas of improvement to help avert online fraud and scams.
Globe reported a last day surge in SIM registrations to the NTC as the deadline lapsed and the grace period for reactivation began. The leading mobile network attributed this welcome stream of last-minute registrants to its vigorous communications campaign and the support of its customers, government regulators and private sector partnerships.
On July 25, the last day of SIM registrations, Globe saw a total 3.344 million SIM registrations, with customers rushing to beat the deadline. The following day, July 26, when deactivations began, a total 452,997 customers caught up to reactivate their mobile services, while 126,344 more complied on July 27.
As of July 27, Globe has logged over 52.302 million SIM registrations, covering Globe Prepaid, Globe Postpaid, Globe Platinum, TM, Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi, and Globe Business SIMs.
If you still missed the SIM registration deadline, you have a final grace period to comply with the law.
Globe, TM, and Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi users who missed the July 25 deadline for SIM registration will already feel the impact of non-compliance, with their outgoing services and incoming calls deactivated.
But, as stipulated in the implementing rules and regulations of the SIM Registration Act, they still have five days- from July 26 to 30– to catch up and save their SIM from permanent deactivation. Their incoming SMS is still left active so they could receive a One-Time Pin for SIM registration.
"Globe recognizes the essential role of uninterrupted mobile and broadband services in our customers' daily lives. So, as provided for in the law, SIM users get this last chance to register their SIMs after missing the initial and extended registration deadlines. Our team is committed to assisting our customers who need help. We strongly urge everyone to seize this opportunity to avoid any inconvenience," said Ernest Cu, Globe Group President and CEO.
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The first Filipino video to top the Bestads list within the past three years, “Tattoo,” is part of TNT’s "Mag-SIM Reg Para Hindi SIM Dead" campaign and is one of three videos aimed at encouraging subscribers to register their SIMs to avoid permanent SIM deactivation and all its hassles.
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