The system to stop fraudulent text messages, with which scammers loot millions of euros every year, will be improved from mid-October, Minister of Telecommunications Petra De Sutter confirmed on Thursday.
Telecom operators Proximus and Telenet are already working to stop fake text messages for their customers, but sometimes they still slip through the net. Software is now being developed to automatically sound the alarm when a number sends suspicious text messages.
"The software to stop text messages from scammers is getting even better," said De Sutter. The process allows telecom operators to intervene immediately. This should stop scam messages from reaching the customer.
"Proximus has already tested the new software, and detected up to six times more fake messages than before," De Sutter said. The money to develop that software comes from European relaunch funds, for which Proximus and Telenet signed up.
Recognising scam
The fake text messages often include a link that criminals use to loot millions of euros every year, a practice which is called 'smishing' (SMS and phishing). "If you click on the link and enter your details, you can be scammed for large sums of money or your device can be infected with a virus," De Sutter said.
This practice is especially worrying as around one third of people don't know when an email or text message is suspicious – mostly people with low incomes and people aged over 55.
Such scams resulted in €39.8 million being stolen in Belgium in 2022 alone. "It isn't just about fake text messages, but also fraudulent emails. These figures are a lot higher than in 2021. Back then, €25 million were stolen."
