The Singapore government Unified SMS sender ID, gov.sg, This will apply to all agencies from July 1, 2024.
The initiative aims to streamline government communications by ensuring all SMS from government agencies are sent from a single sender ID – gov.sg – instead of multiple separate IDs.
The new system is designed to make it easier for citizens to recognize legitimate government messages and protect themselves from impersonation scams.
The Government is working with SMS aggregators and all communications service providers in Singapore to protect gov.sg sender IDs from spoofing.
Most government SMS communications use this unified ID, with the exception of the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), which use their own numbers.
Government agencies in Singapore send over 100 million SMS annually for various purposes, including policy updates and transaction notifications.
With the widespread use of mobile phones, SMS remains an important communication platform.
Examples of communications from the government sent through the gov.sg sender ID include updates on personal CPF matters, transaction status, and appointment details from the Central Provident Fund Board.
Other examples include information on seasonal parking by the Housing and Development Board, parking violation management, HDB flats and loan eligibility systems.
The Immigration Bureau will send out reminders to renew identity cards and passports, while the Land Transport Bureau will provide updates on the status of occupational license applications and renewals.
The rollout of gov.sg SMS sender ID will begin on 18 June 2024 and will be fully implemented by 1 July 2024.
Members of the public are advised to remain vigilant against scams and check for the official gov.sg sender ID in government SMS.
Sim Fengji
Deputy Chief of Staff Shim Fengji Smart Nation GroupSaid,
“This unified gov.sg SMS sender ID is designed to give citizens added confidence and peace of mind in identifying legitimate SMS from government agencies.
This demonstrates the government’s commitment to rooting out malicious attempts to undermine public trust in government communications.”
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