The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Monday said it confiscated a large number of illegal China-made “text blast” machines used by organized syndicates for text scams via mobile phone messaging.
This developed as the PLDT Group vowed to support two bills — one in the House of Representatives and the other in the Senate – that will strengthen the country’s current laws on cybercrime and imprison individuals who act as “mules” in the commission of cybercrimes.
“Many” of the text blast machines were confiscated, DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy said in a Viber message to reporters, without indicating a number.
“They are not legal unless NTC [National Telecommunications Commission] approves it.”
He added that it is “challenging” to confiscate some of the text blast machines because “some of them are owned by local politicians.”
Uy did not mention which politicians owned such machines, which were used as recently as the 2022 national and local elections.
In an interview with GMA Network’s Unang Balita, DICT Undersecretary Alexander Ramos said the text blast machines are typically connected to a computer or laptop and send random text messages to a series of numbers.
Ramons said these machines are now being sold at low prices.
Uy earlier blamed the continued “smishing” (SMS phishing) and text scams on organized syndicates that are buying pre-registered SIM cards from people willing to sell them.
“These people have little regard for protecting their identity or credentials, which is mostly from poor communities,” Uy said.
“At the same time, the syndicates have also shifted to OTT (over the top) platforms such as WhatsApp and Messenger,” he added.
Globe Telecom Inc. earlier reported that it blocked 2.2 billion spam messages from January to June, a nearly four-fold increase from the 615.01 million it logged in the same period last year. In 2022, Globe said it blocked 2.72 billion spam messages.
PLDT Group, on the other hand, recorded a seven-fold jump in monthly blocked SIMs to more than 35,000 as of July 2023 from under 5,000 in 2020. In July alone, it blocked more than seven million phishing messages.
“We commend our lawmakers for discerning that consumer protection is allied with access, connectivity, and speed in the nation’s digitalization strategy,” Alfredo Panlilio, PLDT and Smart president said.
Panlilio was referring to HB 7393: Anti-Financial Scamming Act, and the counterpart Senate Bill 2039: Anti-Mule and Financial Fraud Act of 2023.
The former penalizes any person who acts as a money mule or performs social engineering schemes, considered as a form of economic sabotage when carried out by a group of three or more persons.
SB 2039 further expands the punishable acts to include those who engage other persons to act as “money mules”. Likewise, phishing and account takeovers are part of the prohibited acts.
“Since every internet user is vulnerable to cyberattacks that target our identity and our finances, protection by the State is equally vital to getting more Filipinos to maximize the opportunities that the internet can offer,” Panlilio said.
“PLDT and Smart will support any form of timely and relevant legislation that protects our customers. For us, customer protection is a significant part of our overall customer experience,” he added.
In both proposed bills, money mules include those who sell, buy, or lend e-wallets or other financial accounts; as well as those who register e-wallets or other financial accounts using a fictitious name or stolen identity to perpetrate a crime.
Meanwhile, social engineering schemes refer to the use of deception to falsely represent oneself as part of a legitimate institution to obtain sensitive and confidential personal information with fraudulent intent.
Based on figures provided by the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, online fraud incidents in Metro Manila alone rose from 1,551 in the first half of 2022 to 4,446 in the first half of 2023, or an increase of 186 percent.
A report from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, based on the digital forensic investigation of the SIMs confiscated in scam hubs, unscrupulous individuals have been selling their registered pre-paid SIMs with verified e-wallet accounts for use in various cybercrime activities.
