Globe Telecom has so far
blocked almost 2 million spam and scam text messages following the
implementation of an automated filtering functionality that keeps its customers
from receiving such annoying and unwanted messages.
Such filtering mechanism,
which prevents the transmittal of spam and scam messages to mobile devices, now
covers more than 70% of the company’s 2.1 million postpaid customers, said Joel
Agustin, Globe Senior Vice President and Head of Service Management Division,
Network Technical Group. The mobile operator operationalized the automated
filtering mechanism last August as part of the telecommunication provider’s
efforts to rid its network of both spam and scam messages.
The volume of messages
blocked by the network filtering system averages about 50,000/day, reaching a
peak of more than 117,000 in early October when a large portion of the
company’s postpaid customers were integrated into the filtering system, Agustin
said.
“The filtering system that
we have put in place can be reconfigured to address the kind of spam and scam
messages that goes through our network. While the filtering mechanism seems to
be working well as a deterrent in the transmittal of spam and scam messages,
our technical team continues to design and develop mechanisms that will
substantially rid the network of such irritating messages,” Agustin said. He
noted that since Globe Telecom dominates the postpaid market in the country,
its customers are the usual targets of text spammers and scammers.
Agustin emphasized that
mobile numbers that are identified to be a constant source of spam and scam
messages will be temporarily disconnected from service. So far, more than 1,600
numbers have been cut off from service for this reason. This means that voice,
SMS and data services will not be available to these numbers. Service
restoration for such numbers will only be undertaken if the users contest the
move and show proof they are not text spammers, he added.
In June, Globe made it
easier for customers to report such annoying messages. Specifically, the mobile
operator has made available on a Globe web page a channel through which its
customers can report text spams and text scams alike. Customers simply have to
go to http://www.globe.com.ph/stopspam and provide all the details required.
Numbers that are reported for the first time as the source of text spams are
sent warnings. If the same numbers are reported for the second time due to text
spams, these are immediately blocked from the network.
