Regulator to create forum that will oversee fight against scam calls and texts
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Scam calls and texts are having a “devastating impact” on Irish consumers and urgent action is needed to combat this menace, the communications regulator has said.
Comreg has said it will step up its efforts to tackle nuisance calls and texts by creating a new forum to oversee its work. The regulator estimates the scams cause over €300m in damage every year.
“Unfortunately, our use of electronic communications networks and services is being exploited by criminals, who use social engineering-type attacks — for example vishing, smishing, and Caller ID spoofing, with the intention of illegally acquiring personal consumer information, ultimately to abet financial fraud,” it said.
“Consumers, civil society, and governments are rightly concerned by the snowballing of scam calls and texts and the ensuing damaging effects on public confidence in the integrity and trustworthiness of electronic communications."
For some time now, the watchdog has been seeking to crack down on the scams and nuisance calls plaguing the Irish public. Last year, it criticised phone companies for delays in tackling scams it said were putting consumers at serious risk from fraudsters.
Methods it has employed to try to stop the scammers have included fixed calling line identification call blocking, which is when a call from abroad, but appearing to be coming from an Irish number, is blocked.
In its latest update this week, it said that interventions it is planning have been deployed in other countries and have led to “notable declines in the rates of scam calls and texts”.
“When deployed in Ireland, this package of counter-measures will reduce scams and their harm, protect consumers, and help restore trust in electronic communications services,” it said.
Comreg last month said that its current package of six interventions will be worth €1.2bn to the economy and society over the next seven years, bringing in €55 worth of benefits for every €1 spent.
To help oversee its efforts, it said it will establish a Nuisance Communications Industry Forum to oversee the implementation of these measures. One of the aims of the group is to “restore and maintain consumer trust” in text messages, with over two billion of them sent annually in Ireland.
It comes after banks last week issued a fresh warning on “recovery scams”, where people who had already fallen victim to scams were being re-targeted as fraudsters promised to recover their money.
“The fraudster, using the information from the previous scam, can ‘helpfully’ tell the victim about the earlier fraud, which can make them sound credible,” said the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland’s Niamh Davenport.
“There have also been cases where people have been targeted through online and social media ads. Unfortunately, our members have seen cases of these scams ranging from anywhere from €1,000 to €10,000.”