SMS fraud costing the public €20m a year

At the end of January AGICOM, the Italian Authority Guaranteeing Communications published an alert to consumers and operators warning them of the growing phenomenon of spam messaging to mobile devices in Italy.

It is estimated that as many as 3m Italian mobile users receive SMS requests each day but most are unaware of the potential cost implications of acting on the message - costs which total to €20m a year.

These spam messages typically include a request to connect to an 899 number from a seemingly authentic source: ‘Parts Express: we have attempted to make a delivery at your address. Please contact us during office hours on 899 XXX to arrange a new delivery'. Calling the premium rate 899 number can cost the user €12.40 plus VAT per minute.

Acision, the company whose systems process half of all mobile messages sent around the world, has spoken out about the threat of spam messages that is being felt in Italy and in other countries throughout Europe. Acision is encouraging greater education around the issue to help consumers protect themselves.

Bas Lemmens, GM for Europe, Russia and Africa, Acision comments; “Consumers often think that if they have received a message to their mobile it must be genuine, but the costs associated with falling into the trap of dialling premium rate numbers are enormous. Acision can help operators to protect their subscribers from fraud like this through simple Content Control technology in their messaging systems. By detecting the premium rate 899 code within any message, operators can insert a warning, delivered simultaneously, alerting the recipient to the cost of the call.