Australians will soon see text messages from unknown brands grouped into an “Unverified” thread on their phones as the communications regulator moves to curb SMS impersonation scams.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has introduced an SMS Sender ID Register, requiring organisations that send branded texts — such as government agencies, banks and utilities — to register their identifiers with participating telecommunications providers.
ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said the register is designed to block scammers from spoofing trusted names. “Impersonation scams are highly deceptive and can cause significant financial loss and ongoing psychological distress.
“With this new system in place mid-next year, the public will be able to have greater confidence that SMS messages with a sender ID are legitimate.
“Messages with unregistered sender IDs will appear in a single ‘Unverified’ message thread on mobile phones, indicating it may be a scam,” Ms O’Loughlin said.
Under the rules, telcos and electronic message service providers (EMSPs) that wish to carry messages using sender IDs must apply to ACMA to participate in the register from 15 October 2025. Businesses and organisations will then need to register their sender IDs via a participating telco or EMSP between 30 November 2025 and 30 June 2026. From 1 July 2026, only participating telcos will be permitted to send SMS and MMS with sender IDs, and any unregistered sender IDs will be replaced with the word ‘Unverified’.
The framework places obligations on providers to inform business customers about registration requirements and to educate consumers ahead of the switchover.
“We urge all organisations that use sender ID users – including banks, medical and dental surgeries, retailers, utilities and not-for-profits – to start talking to your telco provider now about what you need to do.
“July 2026 will be here faster than you think. You need to take action now so that your sender IDs are registered and your customers can have confidence that the messages you send them are from you, not a scammer,” Ms O’Loughlin said.
The Telecommunications (SMS Sender ID Register) Industry Standard 2025 was made following a direction from the Minister for Communications, the Hon Anika Wells MP, and two rounds of public consultation.
Further information and FAQs are available at https://www.acma.gov.au/sms-sender-id-register.
