Regulatory Body Criticizes Symbio for Ignoring Telephone Scam Regulations
ACMA Orders Symbio Wholesale to Comply with Phone Scam Rules
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has ordered Symbio Wholesale Pty Limited and Symbio Networks Pty Ltd to comply with Australia's phone scam rules, following an investigation into the companies' failure to promptly call information about scam calls.
In a statement, ACMA Member Samantha Yorke mentioned that the current issue with Symbio follows an ACMA finding under superseded rules in 2022 regarding insufficient investigation of scam calls. Yorke added that all telcos must monitor, investigate, trace, and block scams and quickly call information to prevent scams reaching the public.
Symbio has cooperated fully with ACMA's recent investigation. The company acknowledged receipt of ACMA's directions to comply with the Industry Code C661:2022 Reducing Scam Calls and Scam SMS. However, Yorke also said there is no suggestion Symbio perpetrated these scams, but they did not provide timely notifications about these calls to other telcos, compromising their ability to take rapid action against scams.
The Reducing Scam Calls and Scam SMs Industry Code places information-sharing obligations on telcos once they identify scam calls and when they are notified of scams by other telcos. These processes enable rapid scam identification and disruption across the networks.
In its role as a transit provider, Symbio identifies calls with scam-like patterns and works with partners to investigate and block them when necessary. However, Symbio Wholesale Pty Limited failed to promptly call information about scam calls with other telcos and the ACMA on multiple occasions.
Symbio Wholesale Pty Limited and Symbio Networks Pty Ltd also failed to accurately report the number of scam calls they blocked from April to June 2023. Telcos face penalties of up to AUD250,000 for breaching ACMA directions to comply with industry codes.
Yorke stated that ACMA will closely monitor Symbio's compliance with the rules and may take stronger action if future non-compliance is discovered. Symbio has taken steps to remediate the identified issues regarding scam calls and remains committed to reducing scam calls to protect the public and serve the interests of the industry.
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