SMS messages from foreign SMS gateways are difficult to trace, providing a gap for criminal activities such as phishing scams, spam and identity theft, to target companies and their customers.
So says the Wireless Applications Service Providers Association (Waspa), explaining that receiving an SMS message where the sender ID was manipulated, is a clear indication that a foreign messaging provider was used.
Sender ID manipulation, for example, involves an unknown sender using a personal or business name, instead of the numerical mobile number that gets displayed on a mobile phone. This opens up a platform for rife abuse, says the association.
Mobile numbers can be faked and used to impersonate individuals, friends, family members or business networks to extort information for financial gain, adds Waspa.
Most of the foreign messaging providers are not endorsed by local mobile network operators and are not part of Waspa, which has a code of conduct governing the commercial use of SMS messaging, it says.
Using a foreign provider reduces the protection afforded to businesses by local laws such as the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, according to Waspa. Consequently businesses and operators face legal and reputational risks if commercial messages are sent through these gateways.
In light of these dangers, Waspa advises local companies to look at combining their messaging and marketing efforts with companies that are Waspa-accredited. This will ensure services run reliably, to avoid messages being sent after hours or multiple times. Waspa urges companies to use service providers with mobile gateways which do not allow businesses to engage in sender ID manipulation.
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