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A NEW SYSTEM to help phone users identify scam texts has caused some important messages from organisations such as hospitals and banks to be marked as ‘Likely Scam’.
The Communications Regulator rolled out the system last Thursday to prevent people opening or responding to spam messages which attempt to trick people into clicking unsafe links or sending money.
However, issues with the system are causing people to avoid messages from some trusted companies and agencies, including VHI, the CAO, AIB and several hospitals, potentially causing customers to miss important information.
Companies had to add themselves to a register to send messages to customers without being labelled as ‘Likely Scam’, which 8,000 companies have already done, however, a glitch in the system is causing messages from registered companies to be marked as ‘scam’.
Now, instead of the sender information showing up as the company name, it will appear as ‘Likely Scam’ so customers cannot tell who they have received a text from.
The new ComReg system labels texts from unregistered businesses as ‘Likely Scam’ to crackdown on the widespread issue of fraudulent messages, and protect people from losing money or revealing sensitive information to scam artists masquerading as trusted businesses.
Europe Economics estimates over €300 million is lost each year by Irish consumers and businesses targeted by scam calls and texts.
The system labels messages from untrusted senders as ”Likely Scam”, and will completely block messages with this label from 3 October this year.
Companies must register themselves with the communications regulator’s new scheme if they want to send texts to customers without them being flagged as a scam.
Application-to-Person (A2P) SMS messages often include a SMS Sender ID to indicate who sent the message. It’s usually the name of the company or organisation.
Now ComReg must be made aware of the ID, otherwise texts sent will be flagged to recipients as ‘Likely Scam’.
If someone receives a message that says ‘Likely Scam’, this may be because the sender hasn’t yet registered their ID, which companies must do before October to prevent being blocked.
The system is accidentally labelling messages from some legitimate businesses as ‘Likely Scam’.
Speaking to RTE’s News At One programme, Comreg’s director of market frameworks, George Merrigan, said the issue is caused by ComReg’s technical partners.
“In terms of Comreg’s own systems, all are working exactly to expectation,” he said.
“The issues we’re experiencing are that some industry players are having some technical issues and we are working with them to resolve those issues as quickly as possible.”
ComReg has apologised for any inconvenience and said they are “working to resolve these issues as quickly as possible”.
“ComReg is aware that some already registered Sender IDs are being modified to “Likely Scam” and continues to work with industry parties to resolve any technical issues they are experiencing”, they told The Journal.
Tom Butler, Public Affairs Manager for ComReg, could not say whether ComReg will disable the ‘Likely Scam’ programme until the issues are fixed.
ComReg are continuing to register all new SenderID applications received.
Deary me. The Irish public service meets smart technology
What could possibly go wrong………
@Gerry Kelly: Centralised Govt led initiatives rarely work well (in any country).
@Del Ray: Wouid you prefer each local authority to roll out its own scam warning system? How would that work?
I’ve just received a G.P. appointment reminder text for tomorrow marked ‘likely scam’! Hope the G.P. is a real doctor…
Teething problems. Relax people ffs
@Aidan Cullinane: Making the digital world a safer place is a big challenge and like anything worth doing will take time.
Made a reservation for a restaurant. Send me a text after I booked it. Possible scam up the top of the message
@Orban Orban: You are old fashioned, you don’t say “made a reservation” anymore, it’s now “booked a sitting” which is the “cool” way.
@Orban Orban: Restuarant’s fault for not registering their number.
@Me Me: Did you read the article?
@Leonard Barry: The scam was that they were charging you more than they should be because of no reduction in VAT rates for the hospitality industry
@Larry Betts: Comment intended for Orban Orban
The biggest scam of all is when a website asks Do you accept cookies? I always say yes! Two years later and still waiting for my first delivery
More like what’s going right with it?
How much was blown on this?
I love it when I’m online and a robot asks me to ‘prove I am not a robot’
Never test in production.
A terrible system. Nobody on this planet should have the right to stop me from getting important messages by labelling them as spam or fraud
@Tracy Reddy: are your text messages that important now, oh the inconvenience. How will you manage !
@DeBaldyMullet: There is always a fake profile government lackey doing the rounds on the journal. You can only tighten a screw so much before it breaks and when it does it’s going to be a glorious time to be alive. Finally there’ll be consequences to politicians actions and they’ll pay dearly.
@Tracy Reddy: Go away, troll.
Getting them as calls now instead of text messages
World leader in technology my hoop. Will the Prince looking to give money away be blocked
Did they get BAM to operate the system.
have your say