Launch of gov sg single Sender ID for SMSes from the government
Launch of gov.sg - a single Sender ID for SMSes from the government
This will be fully implemented across government agencies by 1 July 2024
1. The Singapore Government is introducing a new single SMS Sender ID, gov.sg, to be used by all government agencies. From 1 July 2024, the public can expect SMSes from government agencies to come from a single gov.sg SMS Sender ID, instead of individual government agencies' Sender IDs. Using a single SMS Sender ID will make it easier for the public to identify authentic government communications sent by SMSes, and safeguard themselves against government official impersonation scams.
2. The Government has partnered with SMS aggregators and all telecommunications service providers, as well as their respective sub-brands operating in Singapore, to safeguard the gov.sg Sender ID from being spoofed.
3. Limited exceptions will be made for communications about National Service matters and emergency services. Details of these limited exceptions can be found in Annex A.
4. A non-exhaustive list of examples of government SMS communications that will be sent through the gov.sg Sender ID can be found in Annex B.
5. SMS remains a key platform for government communications to the public in Singapore, due to widespread adoption of mobile phones. Annually, over 100 million SMSes are sent by various government agencies1 to notify recipients of policy changes, provide transaction updates, and more.
6. Mr Sim Feng-Ji, Deputy Secretary (Smart Nation Group), said, “This consolidated gov.sg SMS Sender ID is designed to give the public added confidence and ease of mind when it comes to identifying legitimate SMSes from government agencies. It exemplifies the Government's commitment in stamping out malicious attempts that undermine the public’s trust in government communications.”
7. By 1 July 2024, identifying official communications from the government will get easier, with government SMSes coming from a single gov.sg SMS Sender ID. This will be progressively rolled out beginning from 18 June 2024, and members of the public are advised to continue remaining vigilant against scams while checking for the official gov.sg Sender ID in government SMSes.
8. More information on the gov.sg SMS Sender ID can be found at sms.gov.sg
1 Open Government Products, Building Trusted Networks Campaign Numbers, 2024