Data privacy officers of major telcos have been summoned by the National Privacy Commission (NPC) to a meeting to address the rising cases of phishing attacks via short message service (SMS)
SMS-based phishing, also known as smishing, is the text message distribution of links to malicious websites. These sites fool users into thinking they’re on real login pages of online banks, social networks, and digital retailers to steal their usernames and passwords.
See also: SIM Swap Fraud: 3 ways to protect yourself from SIM-jacking
Amid the increase in victim complaints on smishing, whose operators are believed to be a part of a global crime syndicate, the NPC wants data privacy officers to explain their companies’ network infrastructure, determine how smishing have been able to circulate in these networks, and what the companies are presently doing to limit the spread.
The commission is also urging the telcos to deploy a caller ID system akin to what’s being used in the US to help consumers verify sources of messages and calls.
Source: Inquirer