Globe, a telecommunications company, has issued a cautionary advisory urging the public to exercise vigilance regarding text messages offering Globe Rewards. The company emphasizes that these messages, containing links prompting users to redeem rewards, are fraudulent and should be avoided.
Reports have surfaced of customers receiving spoofed messages impersonating Globe’s sender ID, inviting them to click on suspicious links to claim rewards. These deceptive tactics are designed to extract personal information, including sensitive details like credit card information.
“Globe Rewards points may only be redeemed via the GlobeOne app,” said Darius Delgado, vice president and head of Consumer Mobile Business, Globe. “We’d like to encourage our customers to use this official platform, as this is the only place where they can claim rewards.”
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The surge in these scam messages coincides with Globe’s ongoing campaign urging customers to redeem their rewards before the March 31, 2024 expiry date. However, Globe reassures its subscribers that official SMS communications from the company do not include any links.
Spoofed messages, facilitated by illegal equipment like IMSI catchers (Privacy International defines IMSI catcher a a device that locates and then tracks all mobile phones that are connected to a phone network in its vicinity) or fake cell towers, exploit vulnerabilities in mobile networks to send fraudulent SMS. Despite Globe’s efforts to combat spam and scam messages, including implementing stringent filtering measures, scammers persist in finding new avenues for illicit activities.
Globe’s proactive stance against SMS scams highlights the ongoing battle to safeguard customers’ personal information and enhance cybersecurity measures in the telecommunications industry. So far, Globe has blocked a total of 5.48 billion spam and scam messages in 2023, twice the volume it barred in 2022.
Globe calls on its customers to report suspicious SMS via its Stop Spam portal.
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