Australia’s telecoms authority issued its first warning for breaching the country’s code for curbing scam calls, with two Symbio Group subsidiaries failing to properly investigate suspected cases.

An Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation found Symbio Networks and Symbio Wholesale were notified by another operator of 777,268 calling line identifications suspected of being linked to scam calls in November 2021, but only investigated nine.

Symbio Group also was notified in October 2021 of other alleged scam calls but only began action to trace the origins four months later.

Australia’s Reducing Scam Calls Industry Code requires communications service providers (CSPs) to identify and block scam calls, share data with other telecoms companies and trace the source.

ACMA stated explained it expects CSPs to take action when other companies provide information about scam calls, “including requesting more details if needed”.

Since the rules came into force in December 2020, operators have blocked more than half a billion scam calls, ACMA stated.