CICC, CIDG, NTC, Globe Strengthen Fight vs Mobile Scams with IMSI Catcher Detectors

• Globe executives (from left) Yoly Crisanto, Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer; Anton Bonifacio, Chief AI Officer and Chief Information Security Officer; and Atty. Froi Castelo, Group General Counsel, lead the turnover of IMSI Catcher Detectors to government partners PCOL Joselito G. Esico, Chief of Staff, PNP-CIDG; Atty. Ella Lopez, Commissioner, National Telecommunications Commission (NTC); and Usec. Renato Paraiso, Executive Director, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC). Joining the ceremony are Director Alvin Navarro of the CICC, Director Rodil Aniban of the DICT Cyber Security Bureau, and Deputy Commissioner Andy Castelar of the NTC.

Globe, together with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), is stepping up efforts to protect Filipinos from mobile-based scams. Globe donated IMSI catcher detectors to the three government agencies to help identify and locate unauthorized signal activity, strengthening the country’s ability to detect and respond to mobile security threats.

This effort is a step towards addressing the growing use of illegal mobile infrastructure, such as IMSI catchers or fake base stations, which enable cybercriminals to send fraudulent SMS messages directly to unsuspecting users. These threats operate outside Globe’s network, making them hard to detect.

The IMSI catcher detectors will enable the NTC, CICC, and CIDG to identify and locate fake base stations in real time, significantly improving response speed and enforcement actions. With these capabilities, authorities can expand monitoring and enforcement across high-risk and densely populated areas, strengthening protection for millions of mobile users nationwide.

“The threats we are seeing today operate at a deeper level, and addressing them requires stronger systems and closer coordination,” said Froilan Castelo, Group General Counsel at Globe. “We see it as our responsibility not only to provide connectivity, but to make sure that it remains safe and secure for every Filipino who relies on it.”

“What this initiative enables is visibility where it matters most,” said Anton Bonifacio, Chief AI Officer and Chief Information System Officer at Globe. “By detecting unauthorized signal activity, we can support faster investigation and response, which is critical in addressing threats like fake base stations.”

The move builds on Globe’s ongoing efforts to combat fraud and protect customers. Aside from removing clickable links from official Globe SMS advisories and being the first telecom company to implement the non-delivery of all person-to-person (P2P) SMS with clickable links within its network, the company also launched the SMS Scam Shield on the GlobeOne app to protect users from spoofed sender IDs and phishing attacks. In 2025, Globe blocked more than 967 million scam and spam messages and deactivated over 244,000 SIMs linked to fraudulent activity.

Globe also continues to work closely with government agencies and law enforcement to share intelligence, strengthen enforcement, and improve overall protection mechanisms. For the company, this initiative is part of a broader commitment to digital trust and ensuring that connectivity remains a safe space for all.

“Every scam message is not just a technical issue. It affects real people, their finances, their safety, and their peace of mind,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer. “That is why efforts like this matter. It strengthens our ability to detect threats earlier, respond faster, and most importantly, protect Filipinos in a more coordinated way.”

The initiative brings together Globe, NTC, CICC, and CIDG, reinforcing a whole-of-nation approach to addressing increasingly sophisticated mobile-based threats. As mobile connectivity continues to play a central role in everyday life, Globe reaffirms its shared commitment to safeguarding the country’s digital ecosystem and ensuring that Filipinos can stay connected with confidence.