Telecommunications companies will soon be required to block scam texts or warn recipients, part of the Australian government’s effort to crack down on scams.
An SMS sender ID register will be introduced next year. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will block senders or add a warning to the text if they do not match a registered ID.
“We’ve all received scam messages on our phones purporting to be from reputable sources — and it’s costing Australians millions of dollars every year,” said Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland.
“This mandatory Register will enable these messages to be blocked or flagged as a scam — better protecting consumers from being cheated,” she said.
The government provided A$10 million to the ACMA in the 2023-24 federal budget to launch the sender ID register.
The register underwent a voluntary pilot phase this year, with the National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank and Australian Taxation Office participating.
The government expects the sender ID register will be open for registrations in late 2025, according to Rowland and Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones.
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority received 10,928 scam complaints from July 2023 to June 2024, an 81% year-over-year increase.
The most common SMS scams include posing as government agencies, postal services, and toll road operators, according to the ACMA.