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ComReg warned that an increase in text message scams is undermining texting as a way of communicating Alamy Stock Photo

ComReg says people are 'losing trust in texting' and wants a registry to beat the scammers

ComReg say the registry will help maintain trust in text messaging as a means of communication.

IRELAND’S TELECOMS REGULATOR is developing a text message ID Registry to reclaim trust in the communications method following an increase in scams.

In 2022, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) convened a taskforce amid concerns about the perceived trustworthiness and integrity of text messaging as a means of communication.

Today, ComReg announced it is developing an SMS Sender ID Registry to prevent Short Message Service (SMS) scams.

SMS is the technical term given to text messaging.

ComReg say the registry will help maintain trust in text messaging as a means of communication.

It warned that an increase in text message scams is undermining it as a way of communicating, with consumers and organisations losing trust in texting.

Europe Economics, a leading economics consultancy firm, estimates the annual level of harm to Irish consumers and businesses from scam calls and texts is over €300 million.

Around €115 million of this is attributed to scam texts.  

ComReg noted that many organisations rely on text messaging to communicate with their customers and clients, for things like financial transactions, delivery updates and appointments.

This business to client/customer messaging is called Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging.  

A2P text messages often include an alphanumeric identifier, or SMS Sender ID, that may be the name of the company or brand that sent the message. 

ComReg has said that Mobile Service Providers handling bulk text message traffic on behalf of organisations need to pre-register their business customers’ SMS Sender IDs with ComReg by 25 February.

Mobile Service Providers and SMS Aggregators, who specialise in handling large volumes of text messages, need to email senderid@comreg.ie to join the scheme.  

From 3 July 2025, test messages with unregistered Sender IDs will be labelled “Likely Scam” to alert the recipient that the text may not be legitimate.

From 3 October 2025, text messages with unregistered SMS Sender IDs will be blocked.  

SMS Sender ID 1 Image on how to pre-register for the scheme ComReg ComReg

Organisations already using SMS Sender IDs in their messages to customers should instruct their SMS provider to pre-register those IDs with ComReg now.  

More information can be found on www.comreg.ie/senderid  

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    Mute Clarevirtually
    Favourite Clarevirtually
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    Mar 5th 2017, 8:38 AM

    Hurry up Trinity. I’ve only 50gig left on my laptop!

    130
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    Mute Donal Proctor
    Favourite Donal Proctor
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    Mar 5th 2017, 8:38 AM

    Well done TCD for bringing such talent to ireland for us to learn from.

    55
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    Mute Denis Moynihan
    Favourite Denis Moynihan
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    Mar 5th 2017, 11:07 AM

    Well done to the buckos. Best leave the maths to them though; 1000 times more isn’t 1000%. I know it’s been a while since maths week but it should be more like 100,000%

    42
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    Mute Sean
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    Mar 5th 2017, 8:53 AM

    @thejournal Ladz you need a new bank of images for yez er stories – http://www.thejournal.ie/paedophiles-cybercrime-netherlands-3270279-Mar2017/

    41
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    Mute Keith D'Arcy
    Favourite Keith D'Arcy
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    Mar 5th 2017, 8:52 AM

    Latency would be a major issue on a mechanical drive at that capacity and it isn’t mentioned.

    29
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    Mute Early Cuyler
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    Mar 5th 2017, 9:23 AM

    @Keith D’Arcy: Finally got an SSD and now it’s a laugh hearing the storage drives spin up… Can’t justify an upgrade for at least another year or so.

    Supercooled solutions rarely catch on unless there’s a crucial application. Maybe we can use them for archiving stuff in space?! For other impractical solutions see holographic, chlorine and liquid storage. That’s not to diminish the discovery, lest we fall into the trap of futurism. All of the ones I’ve mentioned are incredible feats of engineering.

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    Mute Elma Phudd
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    Mar 5th 2017, 9:40 AM

    The point here is that it operates at room temperature. I’m sure it would fit nicely into a tiered storage scenario where the high IOPS and often accessed data could sit on Flash. It’s bloody amazing in my head anyway.

    19
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    Mute David Mac Shite
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    Mar 5th 2017, 10:01 AM

    Pffft….. they did this on Blue Peter 30 years ago using toilet rolls and double sided sticky tape.

    28
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    Mute Richard Brady
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    Mar 5th 2017, 9:24 AM

    I would fear that the use of these drives as the norm is nearing its end date. Solid state drives are becoming cheaper by the month. All this may be at the very best be a few years to late. Great science all the same, well done lads and lasses.

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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Mar 5th 2017, 10:22 AM

    Not really. Solid state might be the way forward in personal computing but for servers etc a mechanical drive with 1000 times the capacity for say 10 times the cost is pretty attractive.

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    Mute The Crant
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    Mar 5th 2017, 10:01 AM

    All in the computer and nothing in the head

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    Mute Conor Power
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    Mar 5th 2017, 1:37 PM

    More Vapourware to get hopes up and then it never materialises. Ill file with the articles from 10 years ago about breakthrough batteries that will have laptops running 50 hours on a charge

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    Mute winston smith
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    Mar 5th 2017, 6:14 PM

    These research breakthroughs are constantly trumpeted from cancer cures, driverless this and that, space travel, robots and super computers and then we never hear anymore years later!…maybe each claim should come with a fact check and likely launch date if any.

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    Mute Clive Jackson
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    Apr 6th 2017, 10:05 AM

    Need for speed????
    I’m still on my 13 year old laptop, running winXP (win95 if I could). Google Chrome tells me to update. It’s as slow as a wet day but I get by.
    It does all I need it to do >> most times.
    It’s me that needs more speed not the PC

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    Mute John O'Driscoll
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    Mar 5th 2017, 9:27 PM

    Good for a new Nassau Street care might be ‘YottaBites”. Customers could find it magnetic. Molecular gastronomy. Sorry. This is the age of big data. Autonomous cars alone will likely 4000 GB a day. Timely invention and huge credit to the researchers and university.

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    Mute John O'Driscoll
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    Mar 5th 2017, 9:28 PM

    @John O’Driscoll: sorry meant good name for a cafe. tablet keyboard

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