Globe Telecom Inc. said Friday it deactivated 58,234 SIMs linked to fraud and malicious texts in the first half of 2023 through its stop spam portal.
The telco unit of the Ayala Group said the figure represented a 226.22-percent increase from 17,851 a year ago.
Globe said it blacklisted 53,533 SIMs and deactivated an additional 4,701 in six months, demonstrating a robust commitment to protecting customers and maintaining a secure network.
“As we stride forward into the digital age, our foremost commitment at Globe remains to ensure the safety and security of our valued customers. We have taken a strong stance against online fraud, as demonstrated by our stringent measures in deactivating and blacklisting SIMs, including providing a reporting mechanism for our customers through the Stop Spam portal,” said Globe chief information security officer Anton Bonifacio.
“These actions are crucial steps towards building a safer, more trustworthy network and preserving the integrity of our communication channels,” he said.
Through the StopSpam portal, customers can simply upload screenshots of unwarranted text messages and fill in necessary details such as the sender’s number or caller ID, the recipient’s number and any suspicious links received.
Globe also intercepted 2.19 billion scam and spam messages in the first half of 2023, an increase of 360 percent from 615.01 million messages blocked in the same period the previous year.
These efforts underscore Globe’s commitment to supporting the government’s fight against scammers and fraudsters, in line with the SIM Registration Act. The law mandates individuals to register and present valid identification to telecom entities to keep their mobile and broadband services active.
Globe invested $20 million in its Security Operations Center, which operates 24/7 to screen out undesired messages from both international and domestic sources.
