Telecommunications firms Converge and Smart said they blocked billions of cyber threats and scam-related activities on their networks as online fraud, phishing, and child exploitation continue to grow in the Philippines.
In a statement, broadband provider Converge said it denied nearly 12 billion access attempts to websites hosting “dangerous, inappropriate, and harmful content” in 2025.
The company also blacklisted more than 72,000 domains and URLs linked to prohibited online content.
Converge said the blocked websites included those distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC), illegal online gambling, phishing, financial scams, voyeurism, and terrorist materials.
The company said the restrictions were implemented in line with government directives and its partnership with the UK-based Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), an organization focused on removing CSAM from the internet.
“The Internet enables us in numerous ways, but unfortunately, it has also become an avenue for exploitation. Converge advocates for Tech for Good, so our goal is to ensure that every connection we provide serves as a force for good. We are committed to keeping our network empowering, uplifting, and above all, safe for everyone,” said Converge SVP and head of cyber security services Andrew Malijan.
The IWF earlier reported that commercial child sexual abuse websites monitored by the organization doubled in a year to more than 15,000 sites, with criminals exploiting weaknesses in online security systems.
Meanwhile, mobile operator Smart said it blocked more than 955 million text messages related to scams and phishing activities during the first quarter of 2026.
The telco also blacklisted nearly 200,000 mobile numbers linked to fraudulent activities.
“Scammers are exploiting devices that imitate legitimate cell towers to send fraudulent messages directly to nearby phones,” said Menardo “Butch” Jimenez Jr., PLDT chief operating officer and head of network.
“This is why we continue to strengthen our network defenses while working closely with government partners to help protect our customers.”
Smart said some scams involve “signal hijacking” using rogue base stations or IMSI catchers that impersonate legitimate cell towers to send phishing messages directly to nearby phones without passing through the telco’s messaging network.
The company said a sudden downgrade from 5G connectivity to older networks such as 2G before suspicious messages arrive may indicate the presence of fake cell towers being used for scam operations.
Smart and TNT recently launched anti-text scam awareness videos as part of efforts to support the government’s anti-fraud campaign.
