What you need to know: gov.sg SMS Sender ID

Swift and effective communication is essential in today’s digital landscape, thus ensuring the authenticity of government messages is crucial. To enable this mode of communications, the Singapore Government is introducing the new gov.sg SMS Sender ID.

How does it work?

From 1 July 2024, all government SMS communications will be consolidated under a single, easily identifiable SMS sender ID - gov.sg. Recipients will no longer need to decipher multiple sender IDs from various government agencies.

Why make this change?

This change safeguards the public against potential government impersonation scams. By standardising to a single gov.sg SMS Sender ID for all government agencies, citizens can confidently discern authentic government messages from fraudulent ones. This promotes trust and security in every SMS received from the Government.

Example of SMSes that will be sent from the gov.sg Sender ID. SMSes are grouped in single conversation, even if they are from different agencies.

How does this affect you?

With over 100 million messages sent annually, Government SMSes play a pivotal role in keeping citizens informed about policy updates, transaction notifications and critical announcements.

How to identify government SMSes sent from the gov.sg Sender ID

Securing the gov.sg SMS Sender ID

To safeguard the integrity of the gov.sg sender ID, the Government has partnered with all telecom operators like Singtel, StarHub, and M1, as well as SMS aggregators, to consistently block SMSes with fake Sender IDs resembling gov.sg.

Limited exceptions for the use of gov.sg SMS Sender ID for the use of will be made for National Service matters and emergency services, acknowledging the unique nature of these communications.

Members of the public are advised to continue remaining vigilant against scams while checking for the official gov.sg Sender ID in government SMSes.

More information on the gov.sg SMS Sender ID can be found at sms.gov.sg.