Poe urges crackdown on scam calls despite new laws

Senator Grace Poe expressed concern over a significant increase in scam calls during the first quarter of 2025, noting that despite recent laws such as the SIM Registration Law and the POGO ban, scammers continue to cause identity theft and financial losses.

Poe emphasized the need for immediate prosecution of scammers to deter future illegal activities and stressed the importance of holding perpetrators accountable through court trials.

The senator called on relevant government agencies and stakeholders to develop innovative solutions to combat call and text scams effectively, urging swift action against the persisting problem.

Data from Whoscall showed that 6.157 million SMS scams were reported in the Philippines in 2024, highlighting the persistent issue of scamming activities.

Department of Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy warned against scammers asking for various personal information to use for their databases.