In the second quarter of 2024, digital solutions provider Globe observed a significant decrease in blocked spam SMS messages, highlighting a shift in scam tactics as fraudsters adapt to new anti-fraud measures.
Globe reported intercepting 235,998,731 spam SMS messages from April to June 2024, a significant drop from the 1,104,502,921 messages blocked during the same period in 2023. This represents a notable 79% year-on-year (YoY) decline.
“We have observed a consistent decline in spam SMS as we continue to implement stringent filtering systems, including blocking person-to-person SMS with links,” said Anton Bonifacio, CISO and chief AI officer, Globe. “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.”
According to Globe, the downward trend in blocked spam SMS messages has been consistent throughout 2024, with a 35% decrease from the 362,773,894 messages intercepted in the first quarter compared to the second quarter. The decline is further supported by the reduction in deactivated SIMs reported via Globe’s #StopScam portal, which fell to 504 in the second quarter of 2024 from 4,054 in the same period last year, marking an 88% YoY decrease.
Between the first and second quarters of 2024, the number of deactivated SIMs decreased by 40%, with the first quarter recording 841 deactivated numbers. This trend was mirrored in the decline of blacklisted numbers from competitor networks, which dropped from 31,078 in the second quarter of 2023 to 11,026 in the same period in 2024, indicating a 65% reduction YoY and a 70% decrease from the first quarter’s total of 36,549.
Changing scam tactics
The decrease in blocked spam SMS messages reveals a change in scam tactics designed to evade cellular networks. One growing threat is spoofed SMS, which bypasses telecom networks’ spam filters, making detection and prevention particularly challenging. Spoofing involves impersonating SMS channels to trick victims into sharing personal information or clicking malicious links, potentially leading to financial losses or compromised data security.
Spoofed SMS uses International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers or fake cell towers to intercept mobile communications, compelling phones to connect and receive spoofed messages directly, thus evading telco filters. Fraudsters are increasingly turning to over-the-top media services, chat apps, and other Internet-based messaging platforms to reach users, using foreign numbers or email addresses that do not pass through cellular networks.
“As we tighten our defenses against spam SMS, we are also aware that scammers are continuously evolving their methods,” Bonifacio said.
To combat these evolving threats, Globe is deploying advanced network probes to detect and neutralize IMSI catchers and fake base stations. The company continues to proactively block SMS with links and invests in state-of-the-art technologies and strategic partnerships to bolster its cybersecurity framework.