Telecommunications company Globe has donated IMSI catcher detectors to key government agencies to strengthen the country’s response against mobile scams and fake cell sites.
The devices were turned over to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to help identify and locate unauthorized signal activity in real time.
The initiative targets the growing use of illegal mobile infrastructure such as IMSI catchers, also known as fake base stations, which allow cybercriminals to send fraudulent SMS messages directly to mobile users. These attacks bypass traditional network safeguards because they operate outside legitimate telecom systems.
“The threats we are seeing today operate at a deeper level, and addressing them requires stronger systems and closer coordination,” Froilan Castelo, group general counsel at Globe, said. “We see it as our responsibility not only to provide connectivity, but to make sure that it remains safe and secure for every Filipino who relies on it.”
An IMSI catcher acts like a fake cell tower that tricks nearby phones into connecting to it instead of a legitimate network. Once connected, the device can capture a phone’s unique subscriber identity, known as the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and in this case “Globe,” and in some instances send spoofed text messages or intercept communications.
Because phones automatically connect to the strongest signal, users often have no indication that they are linked to a rogue base station. This makes IMSI catchers an effective tool for scammers distributing phishing links or impersonating trusted brands.
With the new detectors, authorities can monitor suspicious signal activity and track down fake base stations more quickly, particularly in densely populated or high-risk areas. The capability is expected to improve enforcement actions and reduce the spread of scam messages.
“What this initiative enables is visibility where it matters most,” Anton Bonifacio, chief AI officer and CISO at Globe, said. “By detecting unauthorized signal activity, we can support faster investigation and response, which is critical in addressing threats like fake base stations.”
