The number of blocked spam and scam text messages related to banks declined by over 85 percent based on data covering the first three quarters of 2023, reflecting gains of Globe's vigorous partnerships with the country's central banks and financial institutions.

From January to September, Globe's proactive blocking efforts fended off over 7 million bank-related spam and scam SMS, crashing from a high of 49.3 million in the same period in 2022.

This follows anti-fraud pacts with the Bankers Association of the Philippines, covering 45 central banks and individual financial sector players. This enables vigorous and timely data and intelligence-sharing to align and enhance efforts to prevent and investigate fraud.

"Our partnerships with various banks and financial institutions, aimed at enhancing fraud detection and prevention, have been highly effective, as evidenced by the steep decline in blocked spam and scam SMS related to banks. This progress underscores the impact of our joint initiatives in safeguarding consumers against financial fraud," said Anton Bonifacio, Globe's chief information security officer.

Globe's proactive efforts against financial fraud are scoring wins despite the current lack of a state-sanctioned shared responsibility framework similar to that of Singapore, outlined in a consultation paper released recently by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Infocomm Media Development Authority.

The paper comprehensively details the obligations of financial institutions and telcos in the event of unauthorized or incorrect payment transactions. Further, it incorporates mechanisms for compensating victims when these established responsibilities are not fulfilled.

In its capacity, Globe has been undertaking industry-leading efforts against fraud and cybercrime. It continues investing in tools and launching channels to streamline spam and scam SMS reporting internally and externally.

It has spent about $20 million to step up its spam and scam SMS detection and blocking system, with a round-the-clock Security Operations Center filtering out unwanted messages, including app-to-person and person-to-person SMS from international and domestic sources.

"Despite current limitations, we are doing our best to protect our customers, leveraging the latest technology and partnerships with other stakeholders to combat fraud. The fight against fraud needs everyone's support as it affects us all, and we look forward to working with the government more closely to strengthen our campaign," Bonifacio said.