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More than 336 million scam texts targeting Australians have been blocked over past months amid new warnings about suspicious phone calls and SMS ahead of Christmas.
New data released today showed telecommunication companies stopped 336.7 million scam texts, or 16 scam texts for every adult, since July 2022.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) study was published during Scam Awareness Week.
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"There is no single or easy solution to address scams, however every scam stopped is a win for consumers and helps make Australia a harder target for these criminal syndicates," said ACMA chair Nerida O'Loughlin.
The ACMA is developing the pilot of a sender ID registry, which aims to help protect the message headers, such as 'MyGov', of brands and government agencies from impersonation by scammers.
It will not eliminate impersonation scams but will increase trust in SMS by preventing scam messages entering legitimate pre-existing text message threads on smart phones, the AMCA said.
The record of overseas registries showed they are effective in protecting consumers and organisations,
O'Loughlin urged Aussies to remain vigilant of suspicious phone calls and SMS during the Christmas period.
"The lead-up to the end-of-year holidays is often used by scammers to step up their activities – including via fake parcel delivery messages," she said.
"We encourage Australians to think about who's really contacting them and to discuss how to identify scams with their friends, family and loved ones."
