In a day — mostly on weekdays — you expect your phone to buzz at any time. Some even set different ringtones to tell messages apart — maybe for work notifications, or personal messages from people who contact you directly.
That’s usually a normal setup. Suddenly, choosing the right message tone doesn’t make sense anymore because you find yourself scrolling through a chunk of random texts congratulating you for winning something you didn’t even sign up for.
And the only routine you now follow is: “edit, select, delete, block contact” — on repeat.
And although it seems like harmless spam, you can’t help but wonder: if these messages are illegal or unwanted, how do they keep getting through?
Rules on paper: The promise of sender accountability
Section 5 of Senate Bill No. 2460, titled “Requirement for a Caller or Sender,” stipulates:
“No person shall make an unsolicited call or text message unless such person discloses the full name of the caller or sender, the company or organization for whose benefit the call or text message is being made, and the telephone number of a fixed line where such identity can be established and verified.”
Smishing: When a tap becomes a trap
In the early days of these scams, many people fell victim to “smishing,” which was distributed to mobile phones and other devices they weren’t aware of. Malware could be downloaded unknowingly as people went about their day—simply because they clicked a link.
Block, delete, repeat
We were told to block the messages and delete them. And when nothing changed, SIM card registration was mandated — yet the messages still came. Apparently, millions of messages continue to flood inboxes without backing off.
IMAGE CREDIT: freepik.com
SIM registration: A solution that didn’t fully stick
When this initiative was first launched, one of its goals was to identify and track the users to whom numbers are registered. However, many scammers stole and fabricated identities during registration. Some even used edited IDs with cartoon characters as their profile photos.
Inside the underground SIM economy
Nowadays, replacing a SIM card is as easy as buying basic necessities—highlighting the scale of illegal SIM distribution. In a press release from the National Bureau of Investigation dated April 1, 2026, Chinese nationals were arrested for illegally selling pre-registered SIM cards through Telegram. These SIM cards were reportedly sold to POGOs and syndicates involved in various online scams.
When spam bypasses the network entirely
While this shows ongoing efforts to combat unlawful activity, it is still unsettling how these offenders continue to operate and reach more people — and occasionally tailor messages for specific recipients.
Beyond what has been mentioned, they have also found ways to bypass telco systems using internet-based SMS gateways, showing how large-scale gambling operations can thrive with or without regulations. So what does this really imply?
Regulation vs. reality: Who’s really in control?
Is it due to situations where people are required to share their contact details for legitimate reasons? Or is it a gap within the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) or even the telco companies we trust, which has led to our data being exposed?
Exposure, data, or chance? Tracing the source of spam
Or perhaps the only ones receiving these spam messages are those who have unknowingly placed themselves in that position — by engaging with gambling sites and apps?
