Australia-based Telstra introduced a scam filter across its network to block suspicious text messages, following a surge in malicious SMS links in 2021.

In an online post, CEO Andrew Penn explained the SMS feature blocks scam messages at the network level before they reach a customer’s mobile device.

Along with the annoyance created, he noted scam messages have the potential to “steal your money or install malware to steal personal information, hack your internet banking and infect your contacts”.

Reports of malicious texts to Android devices on Telstra’s network rose from 50 in 2020 to more than 11,000 in 2021.

Following an internal pilot of the filter, the 2,500 employees participating reported a reduction in the number of scam SMS messages received, though Telstra didn’t disclose specific figures.

The system uses automatic machine scanning to identify suspicious content.

It was automatically activated for all customers, Penn explained adding protections are in place to ensure legitimate messages aren’t filtered out and commercial communications from banks and other large businesses, government departments, emergency alerts and Telstra applications like MessageBank are also unaffected.