More than 9 million SMSes sent through new ‘gov.sg’ sender ID as at July 1
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ST20240605-202423115733-Lim Yaohui-Zhaki Abdullah-azsms13/
Example of SMSes that will be sent from the gov.sg Sender ID at National Press Centre on June 5, 2024.
The Singapore Government is introducing a new single SMS Sender ID, gov.sg, to be used by all government agencies. From 1 July 2024, the public can expect SMSes from government agencies to come from a single gov.sg SMS Sender ID, instead of individual government agencies' Sender IDs. Using a single SMS Sender ID will make it easier for the public to identify authentic government communications sent by SMSes, and safeguard themselves against government official impersonation scams.
(ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI)](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/straitstimes/27b6a0c23862f73e86375b02c7d1541366ce6f8257d0bcbc5e100e8f2a386376?w=480)
The measure streamlines virtually all SMSes sent by the Government under a single sender ID.
PHOTO: ST FILE
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SINGAPORE - More than nine million government SMSes have been sent to the public through the “gov.sg” sender ID in the past two weeks, as part of a new measure to make identifying authentic government text messages easier.
The measure, rolled out on June 18 before taking full effect on July 1, streamlines virtually all SMSes sent by the Singapore Government under a single sender ID,
It was developed by Open Government Products (OGP), an independent division of the Government Technology Agency that builds technology for the public good. Responding to queries on July 5, an OGP spokesperson said the initiative has since onboarded more than 100 government agencies.
Exceptions to the move include text messages from the Defence and Home Affairs ministries about national service matters and emergency services, which will have different sender IDs.
The OGP spokesperson said that there are ongoing campaigns nationwide to educate the public on the new measure. These include informative print-outs being distributed at community centres and outreach events, digital advertising screens at Housing Board estates, as well as social media advertisements.
People are encouraged to visit sms.gov.sg
A total of 509 government-official impersonation scams were reported in the first three months of 2024, with 1,993 such cases reported in all of 2023, according to police figures.
The top five government agencies impersonated in 2024 have been the Singapore Police Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Ministry of Manpower, Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.
