Crack down on fraudulent phone porting
3rd March, 2020
South West Credit has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to crack down on fraudulent number porting with the introduction of stronger identity verification processes.
The new Telecommunications (Mobile Number Pre-porting Additional Identify Verification) Industry Standard 2020 requires telcos to implement additional verification steps before porting phone numbers to other phone providers.
“Australians should have strong confidence in their phone providers when it comes to safety,” said David Brown, CEO.
“This is a well-drafted industry standard that prioritises the safety of consumers without adding an unnecessary surcharge.”
“In a broader environment where consumer identity is now prize, these new rules place an onus on telcos to verify identity when it matters most – before a mobile number is ported,” said Mr Brown.
From 30 April, two-factor authentication will become mandatory, with providers sending unique identifiers to phone owners when an online request is made.
Requests made in stores will also require proof of ID, such as passports and driver licences.
SWC has also welcomed the commitment of telcos in actively filtering and blocking scam calls to consumers. In July of last year, Telstra blocked 2.9 million scam calls, with CEO Andy Penn citing an exponential increase.
“It’s abundantly clear that government and industry cannot afford to become complacent,” said Mr Brown. “As scammers continue to evolve in their tactics, we need to ensure that measures are taken to put consumers in control.”
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