NTC sees huge drop in complaints against text scams with SIM registration

An official from the National Telecommunications Commission said the number of text scams significantly dropped following the implementation of SIM registration.

File photo: SIM card

SIM registration putting an end to text scams?

In a statement, NTC Legal Branch Officer-in-Charge Atty. Andres Castelar, Jr. said reports versus text scams fell to 100 a day.

Agad napansin po ng NTC na simula nang maipatupad itong batas, mula 1,500 na complaints tungkol sa text scam, bumaba na po agad ito to 100 complaints a day, at wala pa po tayo sa deadline ng April 26, Castelar said.

Telecommunications firms rolled out their respective platforms for seamless SIM registration last December 27, 2022.

Filipino mobile users have until April 26 to register their SIM cards.

According to the NTC, more than 42.7 million SIM cards had already been registered as of March 9. The figure, however, remained low at 25.24 percent of the 168 million active subscribers.

To encourage more Filipinos, telco players and the government have been deploying assisted SIM registration sites in remote areas.

The telecom providers are the custodians of the SIM Register and the law provides harsh penalties for intentional disclosures of SIM registration data or breaches caused by negligence, Castelar said.

Source: CNN Philippines