Globe filters out 554 online gambling, smishing, phishing sites in Q1

Leading digital solutions platform Globe persists in its efforts to filter out domains that promote and enable illegal activities.  In the first quarter of this year, the number of online gambling, smishing and phishing sites the company has blocked rose by 41.3 percent, showcasing its steadfast commitment to ensuring a safe and secure online experience for its users.

Globe removed 554 online gambling, smishing and phishing sites between January and March this year, 162 more than the 392 illegal domains blocked in the same period last year.  It continues to report malicious links that promote online gambling to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and law enforcement agencies for immediate action.

Globe’s cybersecurity team has been stepping up measures to fend off spam and online scams, particularly bank phishing. It has also repeatedly warned the public against phishing and smishing attacks targeting customers using messages that mimic official communications.

Phishing is a common type of cyber attack where criminals impersonate an organization or individual through a legitimate-looking email or text message containing links to fraudulent websites to trick people into divulging sensitive information or downloading harmful software. A variation of phishing, known as smishing, operates similarly but is limited to mobile phone SMS messages.

From January to March this year, Globe foiled more attempts to scam depositors after it tied up with banks and financial institutions to fight online fraud.

The number of malicious bank-related SMS messages blocked by Globe increased by 2.7 percent to 4.07 million during the first quarter of 2023 from 3.97 million in the same period last year.

From January 2022 to January 2023, Globe blocked 85 million bank-related spam and scam messages amid its strengthened crackdown against fraudsters. This was part of the record-high 3 billion scam and spam messages it has filtered out in one year.

“We do not tolerate illegal and fraudulent activities that compromise the safety and security of our customers. We remain committed to leveraging our technological capabilities to detect and prevent such activities and to continuously invest in tools and resources that enhance our ability to protect our users. Our goal is to provide a trusted and secure digital platform that our customers can rely on,” said Globe Chief Information Security Officer Anton Bonifacio.

To combat the proliferation of online fraud and other illegal activities, Globe has made substantial investments in developing tools and launching channels that facilitate reporting within and outside the company.

The platform has allocated approximately $20 million to enhance its detection and blocking system for spam and scam SMS. With its Security Operations Center operating 24/7, Globe is able to effectively filter out unwanted messages originating from domestic and international sources, including app-to-person and person-to-person SMS.