Starting 01 Jul 2024, most SMS messages from Singapore government agencies will feature a unique sender ID to help the public authenticate them more easily.
As reported by a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Singapore, these SMS messages will display “gov.sg” as the sender ID instead of individual agencies like “MOH” (Ministry of Health) or “IRAS” (Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore).
Additionally, each message will begin with the full name of the sending agency and end with a note indicating it is an automated message from the Singapore Government, ensuring recipients know not to reply. From 18 Jun, government agencies will gradually start using the “gov.sg” ID, with all messages uniformly displaying the new ID by 01Jul 2024.
Exceptions include messages from the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Home Affairs related to national service and emergency services, which will have different sender IDs. The “gov.sg” ID applies only to SMS, not to other platforms like WhatsApp or Telegram.
This initiative by Open Government Products (OGP), a division of the Government Technology Agency focused on public-interest technology, aims to protect citizens from fraudulent messages and enhance trust in government communications. According to the OGP Assistant Director for Policy, the government is also seeking to secure other communication channels, including calls, emails, WhatsApp, and Telegram.