Globe cautions vs OTT messaging scams amid intensified anti-spam campaign

As it continues to block millions of malicious messages sent over its network this year as part of its heightened cybersecurity and anti-spam efforts, Globe warned the public about the dangers of Over-The-Top or OTT messaging, which are sent through apps that are outside of telcos’ scope.

OTT messaging refers to the sending and receiving of messages over the Internet using content providers outside of a telco’s standard messaging networks. These include messages sent via apps such as Viber, Whatsapp or iMessage, which have message encryption.

As OTT messages use the Internet, they bypass mobile networks and evade SMS blocking.

“We have been successful in detecting and blocking hundreds of millions of illegal SMS sent over our network this year, although many of these scam messages are also sent via other messaging apps. The content of these OTT messages are encrypted and beyond the coverage of telcos,” said Globe Chief Information Security Officer Anton Bonifacio.