Arrest of fraud-tagged suspect a big win vs text scams

Akuura | Globe commends law enforcers for the recent arrest of a foreign national believed to be the leader of a syndicate supplying spoofing devices, a fraud tool used to proliferate text scams. 

This marks a major win against spoofing, a fraud scheme that uses international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) catchers to send out SMS in the guise of legitimate sender IDs. Customers have reported receiving spoofed messages impersonating Globe’s official sender ID for Rewards claims and other unauthorized messages. 

“The arrest of a suspect linked to IMSI catchers is a breakthrough in efforts to quell these scammers who have long evaded the law. We look forward to his prosecution. May this case send a strong message to fraudsters: your time is running out,” said Atty. Froilan Castelo, Globe’s General Counsel. 

Text scams using IMSI catchers have been challenging to address as these SMS do not pass through telco networks. These portable devices serve as fake cell towers that allow fraudsters to send out malicious SMS to SIMs within their vicinity. 

Globe has been working with the government to address the root of the problem– that is to stop the entry of IMSI catchers to the Philippines. 

“Globe stands ready to support and collaborate with the government to keep the momentum going and score even more wins against fraudsters,” said Castelo. 

Globe again calls on the public to be wary of suspicious text messages, including those that appear to have come from legitimate sources. Look out for dubious links and offers that appear to be too good to be true. Globe never sends out clickable links in its official text advisories. 

Customers who encounter scam SMS may file a report on Globe’s #StopSpam portal. 

To learn more about Globe’s efforts against fraud, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/.