From 1 July 2026, all organisations must officially register their sender IDs before they text you
A sender ID is a short alphanumeric header displayed at the top of text messages to show you which organisation or company the message is from. For example: ‘ATO’ or ‘myGov’.
From 1 July 2026, all companies and organisations using sender ID in their SMS and MMS messages will be required to register with the Australian Media and Communications Authority’s (ACMA) SMS Sender ID Register.
A common scam tactic is to impersonate well-known brands and government agencies by spoofing (faking) their sender IDs. These scam messages may appear in the same message thread as legitimate messages, making them seem genuine and trusted.
The ACMA SMS Sender ID Register will establish a list of verified organisations and their sender IDs to help protect phone users against spoofing and impersonation scams. The SMS Sender ID Register places obligations on Telstra and other telcos to disrupt any messages using an unregistered sender ID.
From 1 July 2026, messages from registered sender IDs will appear with the organisation’s name or an abbreviation of their name. If the sender ID is not registered, the message will appear as ‘Unverified’. You can also check with the organisation directly or visit their official website if you’re unsure.
If a message appears from ‘Unverified’, it means the sender ID used in the message is not registered in the ACMA SMS Sender ID Register. This doesn’t automatically mean it’s a scam, but you should treat it with caution. Avoid clicking links or sharing personal information if you’re not sure the message is legitimate.
You do not need to do anything. The register is managed by the ACMA and participating telcos are responsible for complying with the rules. More information can be found on the ACMA’s SMS Sender ID Register page
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