Missing industry data delayed scam text message warning system

Internal documents also detailed how SMS scams were costing around €115m per year for Irish businesses and mobile users

Records described how there were still major 'industry implementation issues' and missing data. File photo

The telecoms regulator said it could not move ahead with a plan for blocking the senders of scam texts because too many companies were still having legitimate messages flagged.

In internal discussions, ComReg said the new system — which marks SMS texts as likely scams — was working well but it was still missing key data to proceed with any complete block.

Records detail how the regulator hoped to avoid negative publicity from the delay with one commissioner saying they needed to “have a clear narrative about why we are extending the date”. It said they should try to build on “goodwill” about the system, which was designed to address a proliferation of bogus text messages.

Internal documents released under FOI also detailed how SMS scams were costing around €115m per year for Irish businesses and mobile users.

The full-scale blocking system was set to be introduced on October 3. However, records described how there were still major “industry implementation issues” and missing data.

An internal briefing said the delay was “considered prudent” based on the available evidence. It said that even months after the introduction of the warnings, they were still relying on incomplete or incorrectly formatted metrics from industry.

The briefing added: “Staff are unable to definitively quantify the prevailing level of false positives.

“Under the current circumstances, it is preferable that end-users receive those messages marked as ‘Likely Scam’ rather than having them blocked.” ComReg chair and commissioner, Garrett Blaney, said they should avoid issuing a press release on the delay and that an online information note would suffice.

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He wrote: “[It would set] out what progress we have made with the Sender ID intervention and explains why (abundance of caution?) we have decided to defer the October date. The press have been interested in this subject so it might be useful to clearly set out our position.” 

However, there were some internal rumblings about the eleventh-hour change of plans. 

One email from a senior official said: “We have not prepared for this as we were working to what was agreed. The team will have to take this away now and recalibrate the plans given this very late change.” 

Asked about the records, a spokesman said: “The blocking of A2P SMS messages from unregistered Sender IDs was scheduled to commence on 3 October. While the majority of industry parties have now resolved their technical issues, there remains a number of participating aggregators with outstanding matters.” 

He said ComReg was closely monitoring the situation but there still remained a “potential and avoidable risk” if they were to move to the blocking phase now.