A new law will soon make it tougher for scammers to impersonate legitimate businesses via text message.
From July 1, Australia will have a mandatory SMS Sender ID register which will require businesses that use branded text messages to officially register their name.
The new law will stop scammers who impersonate legitimate businesses or organisations via text. ACMA
Businesses that send out marketing text messages, including small operators or government organisations like the Australian Tax Office (ATO) or Australia Post, will be able to claim that sender ID by joining the register.
Unregistered senders will have their name changed to “unverified” to make it easier for recipients to identify a potential scam.
All unverified texts will also be grouped in a single message thread on a person’s phone.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) said the register will protect the community from scams and stop criminals from impersonating reputable businesses.
ACMA expects the law will “help restore confidence in branded SMS communications”.
Businesses have been warned to register their sender ID before July 1, or risk having their texts reported as scams.
Scam text message sent from an ATO impersonator. Supplied
“If a legitimate organisation does not register their sender ID, their messages could be mistaken for a scam, disrupting customer communications and affecting brand reputation,” ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin said.
Businesses can register their sender ID online if they have an Australian Business Number (ABN), or through a verified telco provider.
Sender IDs need to be linked to a registered organisation which matches a business name or trademark.
There is a list of banned words, which includes bank, package, password, sale, delivery, important, urgent, verified or tax.
The restricted words may only be used if combined with additional characters that identify the business or organisation.
Australians lost more than $13.8 million to text message scams in the first nine months of 2025, according to ACMA.
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