Singapore telcos offer call blocking from international numbers to combat scams

SINGAPORE: Starting Friday (Jan 5), customers of four telcos can choose to block incoming calls from international numbers on their mobile phones as part of measures to tackle scams.

Singtel, StarHub, M1 and SIMBA will offer the service as an option, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) announced on Thursday.

"Subscribers can enable and disable the international number blocking option based on their need," said IMDA.

"For example, a subscriber can opt in to enable the international number blocking as a default, but disable the service when travelling overseas and expecting calls from international numbers (for example, from the hotel or on-ground transport). "While all incoming calls made from international numbers will be blocked, calls made from Singapore numbers, such as users roaming overseas and calling home, will still be received, said IMDA.

The service will be offered free of charge for all customers of the four telcos.

"Mobile subscribers should approach their respective telcos to understand the service scope and how to sign up," said IMDA.

ANTI-SCAM MEASURES

About 1.6 billion international calls are received annually in Singapore, with such calls made by many scammers who operate overseas, said IMDA.

The authority noted that more than 300 million scam calls were blocked by the telcos from January to September last year, the equivalent of around one in every four incoming calls from international numbers blocked for this period.

"To combat the threat posed by international scam calls, IMDA and the telcos have progressively introduced measures. This includes upfront blocking of all international calls that exhibit unusually high frequency, as these are likely scam calls made using automated systems," said IMDA.

"In addition, all international incoming calls where the caller ID is falsified with a +65 prefix to resemble a call made from Singapore, were also identified and blocked."

IMDA added that by mid-2024, telco subscribers will have the option to block both calls and SMSes from international numbers on their mobile phones.

In an interview with Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao on Dec 18, Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo said that the call-blocking feature would "prevent the vulnerable who may accidentally answer an overseas call from a scammer and be tricked into it".

"Speaking as a person with an elderly parent, I find this feature useful because I can then activate it for my parents’ mobile phones," said Mrs Teo, who is also Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity.

IMDA urged the public to continue being on guard as scammers’ tactics evolve. "Scammers will continue to change their methods and tactics and there is no foolproof measure even as we continue to monitor and implement additional safeguards," it said.

"IMDA will continue to work with other stakeholders in the fight against scams."