Telco goes public over scam calls it says flowed through rival network

Vodafone's parent company TPG Telecom reported that nearly all (98%) of scam calls made to its customers over a one-year period came through internet phone company Symbio, according to a company analysis of millions of scam calls. Symbio, owned by Australian broadband provider Aussie Broadband, sells Australian phone numbers to other companies in bulk, allowing them to make calls via the internet.

Aussie Broadandy CEO Brian Maher said stopping the scammers was very difficult due to Symbio's lack of oversight over its customers, who may on-sell the phone numbers to thousands of other users. Vodafone's executive Vanessa Hicks stated that the company was working with TPG Telecom's owner to reduce the volume of scam calls and that Australia's Scams Prevention Framework is due to be introduced next year.

A Vodafone customer, Ian Odlum, shared a story of a scam call he received from someone impersonating the Australian Federal Police, demanding he go to a police station. Vodafone's fraud team found that the scammers impersonated police stations in several states, including Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia, and the AFP.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) said regulation was working in dealing with the scam, but warned Symbio in 2024 for not properly investigating scam calls and failing to share information with other telcos. Symbio was previously warned in 2022 for the same issue. TPG denied the criticism was driven by commercial rivalry and said it was acting to protect Australians and its customers.

The regulator expects telcos to meet stricter new obligations under the full introduction of Australia's Scams Prevention Framework, which will require companies to prevent scam calls using Australian numbers and strengthen customer and traffic verification.