Understanding SMS suffixes: What S, G, P, and T mean and how they help you avoid scams
Incidents of cyber fraud are on the rise. TRAI has mandated telecom companies to add a suffix to SMS messages. Here is what this suffix means.
In recent years, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has implemented stricter rules on promotional messages and calls. As a result, many fraudulent calls are now blocked at the network level. Scammers also use fake messages to trick people. They often mimic messages from banks, e-commerce companies, telecom operators, and government institutions. These fake messages can contain links to malware that, when clicked, can infect your phone and steal your personal data, which criminals then use to commit fraud.
How to identify genuine and fake messages
To distinguish between a genuine and a fake SMS, look closely at the sender's name. According to TRAI's guidelines, legitimate organisations use a specific format for their sender IDs, which helps you verify their authenticity.
Official sender IDs are typically six characters long and are followed by a hyphen and a single letter, such as HDFCBK-S or MYGOVT-G. This letter indicates the type of message you are receiving.
What these codes mean
- S (Service): This indicates a service-related message, such as a transaction alert from your bank, an OTP (One-Time Password) for an online service, or an order confirmation from an e-commerce company.
- G (Government): This is used for official communications from government bodies, such as alerts, public service announcements, or messages related to government schemes.
- P (Promotional): This denotes a promotional message, such as an advertisement, a special offer, or a marketing message. These messages are sent by companies that have been whitelisted and are not sent to users who are on the DND (Do Not Disturb) list.
- T (Transactional): This is another code used for transactional messages, often for OTPs and other critical, time-sensitive information.
Be extremely cautious of any message that does not follow this format, especially if it comes from a regular 10-digit number. Remember, real banks and government bodies will not send you messages from personal phone numbers.
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