TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) is set to launch a sender ID code—111—dedicated to government agencies in a bid to counter mobile messaging fraud.
The code was introduced to help people better distinguish authentic text messages from false ones purportedly dispatched by government units. The trial program will kick off by the end of September, said Digital Minister Audrey Tang (唐鳳) at a press event on Friday (Aug. 25).
Telecom service providers were enlisted to ensure the code would not be misused. The service will first be accessible to central government agencies before being expanded to local levels, Tang added.
This is yet another move by MODA to fight SMS phishing that tricks receivers into clicking fraudulent links following the “Government URL Shortener Service (https://url.gov.tw/)," rolled out in 2022.
The announcement of the new service comes as the ministry marks its anniversary amid criticisms of its less-than-satisfactory performance. It has drawn fire over alleged extravagant spending on overseas trips and failure to curb online scams.
Rejecting the criticisms, MODA said it has worked with financial authorities to improve third-party payment management in e-commerce to protect consumers' personal data. Other efforts include cooperation with tech giants like Meta, Google, and LINE to remove deceptive advertisements and phony accounts.