Smart Communications Inc. (Smart), PLDT’s wireless unit, deactivated over 615,788 mobile numbers linked to illegal activities such as spamming and SMShing scams between January and May this year.
PLDT and Smart have ramped up measures to combat scammers who exploit fraudulently registered SIM cards. This stringent action is part of Smart’s rigorous validation process of SIM registrations.
“We actively collaborate with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, the NTC, our telecom peers, and other allies from the private and public sectors to address the menace of SMShing and phishing scammers comprehensively,” said Jojo Gendrano, CISO of PLDT and Smart.
In response to the increasing sophistication of fraud schemes, Smart has enhanced its SIM registration controls in compliance with the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) guidelines. Since December, the company has implemented advanced verification mechanisms. These include “live selfie” and liveness checks, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), facial recognition and matching, prohibition of stock selfie uploads, and pre-activation verification of SIM registrations.
PLDT and Smart have engaged with provincial distributors, regional dealers, and other trade partners to strengthen the security and integrity of the Smart SIM distribution process. The ongoing #BeCyberSmart and #MagingCyberSmart campaigns further educate the public on recognizing and thwarting scam techniques.
Smart encourages individuals to report any suspicious messages or calls. Reports can be sent to cybersecurityincidents@smart.com.ph and cybersecurityincidents@pldt.com.ph. Alternatively, reports can be submitted via Smart’s verified social media pages—Smart Communications on Facebook and @SmartCares on X—or by calling the hotline at *888.