The SMS Sender ID Register is part of the government’s Fighting Scams initiative to address scams and online fraud and protect Australians from financial harm.
The initiative aims to protect Australians from fraudulent text messages often used by scammers to impersonate trusted organisations like CommBank, Linkt, and MyGov, targeting victims to steal personal details.
To support the program, the Albanese government has allocated $10 million to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to establish a national register of verified companies.
Register will make it harder for scammers to misuse legitimate sender IDs, offering an added layer of security for Australians against text-based fraud.
Under the new system, SMS messages will be checked against the register, with unverified messages either blocked or flagged with a warning.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will oversee the register as part of the Albanese government’s strategy to make Australia “the toughest target in the world for scammers.
“We’ve all received scam messages on our phones purporting to be from reputable sources – and it’s costing Australians millions of dollars every year,” Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said.
“This mandatory Register will enable these messages to be blocked or flagged as a scam – better protecting consumers from being cheated,”
“In this way, the register will also help restore trust in communications received from legitimate organisations and make Australia an even harder place for scammers to operate.” she said.
With ACMA leading the effort and the Albanese government’s investment, Australians can look forward to enhanced protection and a more secure communication landscape.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) reports that telcos have blocked over 668.3 million scam SMS messages since July 2022.
According to the government’s ScamWatch website, SMS scams often disguise themselves as messages from trusted sources, including government agencies, businesses, or even family and friends, in an attempt to deceive and defraud recipients.
The government expects the SMS Sender ID Register to be ready for public registration by late 2025, following extensive consultations with telcos and companies commonly targeted by scammers.
Meanwhile, a pilot program is already underway, involving cooperation from organizations like NAB, CommBank, the ATO, and others to refine the system and enhance its effectiveness.
