Globe starts anti text spam campaign

Globe Telecom has started a campaign to guard its subscribers from unsolicited promotional materials sent via text messages, widely known as text spam.Users can now report the number, the exact message, and the time and date the text spam was received to Globe using the telco’s official website, a text message or on Twitter.Numbers that are reported to be source of text spams are first sent warnings and are deactivated if the activity persists, said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Head of corporate communications.Globe said that many of its users have been bombarded with an average of five to 10 spam messages daily.Usually sent using prepaid numbers, spam messages are untraceable and don’t need specific numbers to send messages. For efficiency, spammers target mobile users by texting a range of numbers using USB GSM modems.Crisanto argued against numerous reports accusing telcos that they sell numbers to database marketing companies, explaining that Globe “treat customer numbers with utmost confidentiality in line with the company’s security policy,”“Major sources can be mobile marketing companies, app and web developers, load merchants, private and public establishments as well as through mobile generator programs,” she said.Crisanto reminded subscribers to take caution in writing down any personal information including mobile phone numbers, which usually takes place during registration to events and websites, prepaid loading from sari-sari stores, text validation of mobile apps, and more.According to guidelines from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), any individual or business entity who wants to send broadcast messages needs to register first with the NTC for authorization. Legitimate text blasts do not carry 11-digit numbers.