Scam phone calls and texts are costing Irish businesses and individuals €300 million yearly, according to telecoms regulator ComReg.
The prevalence of scam calls and messages has increased in recent years, with most mobile users reporting to have received scam calls or text messages.
Research commissioned by ComReg found 365,000 cases of fraudulent scams were recorded last year, averaging 1,000 a day.
More than 5,000 businesses were the victim of fraud after receiving scam calls and texts, while there have been multiple reports of recent scams, including those posing as motorway toll operators, banks, An Post, or even a child in distress.
The overall “total harms to society” are conservatively estimated at over €300 million yearly., ComReg said.
To combat scams, ComReg is proposing to require mobile phone operators to implement several technical interventions.
The regulator also assessed an SMS Scam Filter to block scam messages and protect against more sophisticated scams in the future.
The intervention would require legislative change, in which regard ComReg is engaging with the Department of Communications.
