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Just like the 'VoIP bypass' that used to happen in phone calls from abroad, it has been found that the cases of 'bypass' in SMS from abroad are increasing in recent years.
Short code messages sent by Facebook, Google, WhatsApp, Microsoft, TikTok etc. to their users in Nepal for verification are bypassed by misusing the telecom network.
As online services, digital jobs/businesses are increasing, the number of messages (at'p) sent by foreign companies to Nepali users is also increasing . Bypassing it will result in loss of revenue to the operator as well as loss of revenue to the government .
The regulator Nepal Telecommunication Authority has pointed out that the network of licensed service providers such as Nepal Telecom and Ncell is being misused to transmit SMS from abroad illegally. The authority had also issued a notice on Friday to stop such activities immediately. Recently, the authority has confirmed that such SMS are being transmitted in Nepal illegally through the network of telecom companies.
The Authority has warned that individuals and organizations involved in illegally terminating International Arrival Application to Person (ATUP) SMS will be prosecuted . In the Telecommunication Act, 2053, only organizations licensed for basic telecommunication services, international trunk telephone services and basic telephone services are allowed to transmit SMS from abroad in Nepal. "Since it has been understood that SMS is being transmitted using the network of licensed service providers, this notice has been published for the information of all concerned not to do such things," the notice said.
The messages that come when we reset the verification code or password sent to our phones by foreign apps like Facebook, Google, WhatsApp or TikTok are Utp SMS . According to the service providers, since last 5/6 years, some people or organizations were importing these messages into Nepal through illegal means . This is called 'SMS Bypass'. This scam is similar to 'VoIP Bypass' in phone calls from abroad. To understand
easily, the verification code of Tiktok should come directly from Tiktok to your phone. However, if that code is bypassed by a local company or agent in Nepal and not from Tiktok, the telecom companies lose their income . According to Ncell, due to such bypass, the company's income is losing between 15 to 20 lakh rupees per month . It directly affects the revenue received by the government.
A separate 'Revenue Assurance and Fraud Management' unit has been created for revenue assurance and fraud control in Ncell, the company said. "ATUP SMS bypass is mainly through the use of SIM box and local aggregator/short or sender ID," the company said.
