Mandatory SMS Sender ID Register Set up in Government’s Latest Move Against Scammers

This follows the passage of legislation through the Australian parliament

Marina Demidiuk/Shutterstock

The Albanese Labor government will establish a mandatory SMS sender ID register to verify messages sent from banks, service providers, and government entities.

The register aims to stop scammers from using the names of major Australian brands such as the Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, and MyGov to trick Australians into sending money.

Telecommunications companies will need to check whether messages sent under these brand names correspond with the numbers in the SMS Sender ID register.

If a number doesn’t match, then the scammer will be stopped in their tracks.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will oversee the register, developing an enforceable industry standard to make sure telco companies are checking the messages.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the SMS Sender ID Register was an important tool to protect hard-working Australians from increasingly sophisticated and organised scammers.

“We’ve all received scam messages on our phones purporting to be from reputable sources—and it’s costing Australians millions of dollars every year. This mandatory register will enable these messages to be blocked or flagged as a scam—better protecting consumers from being cheated,” she said.

“In this way, the register will also help restore trust in communications received from legitimate organisations and make Australia an even harder place for scammers to operate.”

Registration of IDs will Start in Late 2025

The Australian government is planning to open the register for new sender IDs in the latter half of 2025. In the early part of the year, the ACMA is planning to consult on the industry standard and implement systems to operate the register.

The government has given the ACMA $10 million of funding via the 2023 to 2024 federal budget to maintain and launch the register.

A voluntary pilot phased has already tested the operation of the register, involving companies including the National Australia Bank (NAB), Commonwealth Bank, and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Assistant Treasurer and Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones said the register will help shut down scammers’ business model and stop the bombardment of scam texts to Australians.

“The government’s crackdown on scams is already showing signs of success, but it is not job done. We continue to work to ensure Australians have the best protections against these predatory and criminal scams,” he said.

“Our coordinated approach to keeping Australians safe from scammers is among the most comprehensive in the world and the Register will help to bolster our defences against the criminal scammers.”

Legislation in Parliament Enabled Mandatory Register

The implementation of the new SMS ID register follows the passing of the Telecommunications Amendment (SMS Sender ID Register) Bill 2024 in Parliament in August.

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce fully supported the SMS register legislation.

“I think it’s really important. It shows that we have the ability to go to people who provide telecommunications and put some further licensing agreements and conditions on them,” he said during the Parliamentary debate.

Joyce said people most likely to deal with scammers were the vulnerable.

“Those who are elderly and those who are, basically, uninitiated. We need to try to convince people to not open that link. Do not let that cookie onto your phone,” he said.

“‘No, that person has not sent you out a fine for not paying a toll; this is a scam.’ Vulnerable people, who are generally decent people, believe that everything they get is bona fide, and so they have a propensity to get caught up in these scams.”

Independent Member for Fowler Dai Le said during debate that many of her constituents were concerned by the constant unwanted and unsolicited spam and scams.

“Some have unfortunately fallen for these scams, as the text messages seem legitimate in their eyes. My office in Fowler has received emails and calls from constituents who have been victims of these types of scams and cybercrime,” she said.

“Falling for these scams often makes people feel stupid or humiliated, and they’re not. This bill places the emphasis where it should be—not on the victim but on making it more difficult for the criminal.”

Other Nations

Elsewhere, nations including the United Kingdom and Spain have brought in SMS Sender ID Protection Registries to deal with threats of smishing and spoofing.

Like the Australian system, this involves government and businesses working together to ensure only verified sender IDs are used for messaging.

In the United States, there is no centralised government run registry, however, there are private sector initiatives with some regulatory control.