MANILA -- Senator Grace Poe on Sunday urged authorities to amplify its crackdown on mobile phone scammers as the deadline for SIM registration nears.
The senator said scams through text are still received by some subscribers, including recent messages saying their online bank accounts have been blocked.
"There are still SIM farms out there and spoofing tools. Sinister minds will never stop hatching ways of stealing information and duping people," Poe said.
According to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), a reduction in spam messages was seen after the implementation of the SIM registration law.
However, Poe said the scammers must not be underestimated as they might even use the extension of the SIM registration to their advantage.
"The extension period, if so decided by the DICT, will be for the legitimate subscribers to register and avoid disruption in their mobile phone services. This should not extend the heydays of the scammers," Poe said.
Poe was the principal author of the SIM registration act.
As of March 15, some 45.86 million SIMs have been registered, according to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
The public can register their SIMs here: