Cybercriminals create scams worth several tens of millions of euros each year. The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom has warned several times of scam messages sent pretending to be from other organisations, as well as Traficom itself. Traficom has protected the SMS Sender ID. There are almost 200 organisations that have already protected their Sender IDs.
The phenomenon of scams has grown strongly in recent years. Finns have lost several million euros a year to various scams. Everyone should stay vigilant to not end up at the mercy of cybercriminals. Cybercriminals create scams not just by texting, but also by calling or sending email. Often times, the criminal aims to create a feeling that it is a matter of haste and the need for money is great.
Traficom has protected its Sender ID – remember to stay vigilant regardless
Traficom reminds that the agency does not send invoices or, for example, payment reminders via SMS. “We have protected Traficom’s SMS Sender ID, so that nobody can pretend to be Traficom and send scam messages,” tells Special Adviser Kimmo Martikka from Traficom. “However, you should remain vigilant, because these criminals try to utilize different spellings of the registered Sender ID. For example, there are scam messages that have a very similar name as Traficom, such as Tragicom and Traficorn,” continues Martikka.
Scam messages sent by text message often claim that the recipient has an unpaid fine. However, this is a phishing message trying to get you to click the link in the message and give your bank credentials to criminals.
There are almost 200 organisations that have already protected their Sender IDs
So far, different organisations have protected almost 200 SMS Sender IDs, of which some are still waiting for the protection to come into effect after the transition period. These organisations include government organisations, banks and insurance companies. “We encourage organisations that send text messages to check their security needs and register the necessary IDs in Traficom’s service,” specifies Martikka.
Further information
Special Adviser Kimmo Martikka, tel. +358 29,534 5547, kimmo.martikka@traficom.fi
Registered SMS Sender IDs (External link)
Guide on how to protect a text message sender ID (External link)(in Finnish)
Background
From 9 November 2023, Traficom has offered organisations the opportunity to protect their own sender ID. Companies and public corporations can protect the sender IDs they use so that no one else can send text messages with protected IDs. The protection takes effect three months after the registration of the ID.