What is an SMS Sender ID?
Your SMS sender ID – your alphanumeric sender – acts as your company’s public face in SMS communication and represents your brand to recipients.
A registered sender ID prevents unauthorised use of your company name and helps build trust and credibility in your SMS communication.
How can companies protect themselves against SMS Fraud?
Fraudsters use spoofing techniques to fake sender names – your alphanumeric sender ID. The result? Damaged customer relationships, lost trust, and in the worst-case scenario, financial losses for the affected end customer. Your company name can be used in fraudulent messages – without your knowledge – unless you have protected your sender ID with Sender ID Protection.
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Scam SMS with Spoofing
Example: You receive a message from “The Bank” saying: “Your account has been blocked, click here to verify your details.” The sender looks legitimate, but it’s fake – a classic case of spoofing. The link leads to a fraudulent website where the scammer tries to steal sensitive information.
- Smishing (SMS + phishing)
A fraudster sends an SMS with the intent to trick you into providing sensitive information such as passwords, card numbers, or your digital ID (BankID). Spoofing and phishing are often used together to make SMS messages seem more credible.
Spoofing and phishing are often used together to make SMS messages seem more credible.
SMS Fraud is increasing – but can be prevented
Ditt företag behöver inte ens skicka SMS för att bli drabbat. Om du inte har skyddat ditt avsändar-ID, kan någon annan skicka SMS med ditt företagsnamn som avsändare (s k spoofing). Det här är ett växande problem inom både offentlig och privat sektor – och något som varje företag bör ha en strategi för. I Sverige har vi främst sett bedrägerier inom logistik- och finanssektorn såsom SMS-notiser för utebliven betalning eller leverans av varor slutkunden ej beställt. Så oavsett om ditt företag skickar SMS eller inte, rekommenderar vi, att ni använder vår tjänst för Sender ID Protection.
Your company doesn’t even need to send SMS messages to be affected. If your sender ID isn’t protected, someone else can send messages using your company name (so-called spoofing). This is a growing issue across both public and private sectors – and something every business should have a strategy for. In Sweden, fraud has mainly affected the logistics, financial services, and retail sectors. Common examples include fake delivery notifications or payment reminders for goods the customer never ordered or paid for – often sent via SMS, though email is also frequently used. Regardless of whether your company actively sends SMS messages, we strongly recommend using our Sender ID Protection service.
Protect your Sender ID with Sender ID Protection
Sender ID Protection involves registering and locking your company name as a sender with mobile network operators, ensuring that no one else can use your sender ID in any SMS send-outs – not just marketing campaigns. Your sender names are whitelisted and authorised to send SMS messages, and only pre-approved providers are allowed to deliver messages using those IDs. If a provider isn’t approved, the messages will be blocked. Pricing and implementation of SMS Sender ID Protection may vary between countries due to differences in telecom regulations, operator requirements, and technical infrastructure needed to ensure effective protection against fraud and misuse of sender IDs.
Benefits of Sender ID Protection
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Protects your brand from use in fraud such as spoofing and phishing
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Creates trust and reassurance for your customers and recipients
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Improves message deliverability and reliability
Protect all variations of your sender name – not just one
When securing your company’s sender ID (maximum 11 characters A–Z) for SMS communication, it’s not enough to register just one version of your company name. Fraudsters often exploit minor spelling or formatting variations to bypass protection.
To reduce the risk of brand hijacking, it’s important to register all potential variants – including those you don’t actively use. Think of it like this: if you don’t secure your name, someone else might – and use it against your customers. Sender ID Protection helps prevent the unauthorised use of your company name in SMS spoofing.
Example of Sender Names to secure:
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LEKAB (uppercase – common in business communication)
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Lekab (capitalised – often used in formal communication)
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lekab (lowercase – can be used for fraudulent purposes)
- LEKAB_SE or LekabSE (variants commonly used in systems or for regional targeting)
- LEKAB-supp (for support, login, or booking flows)
By proactively registering these variants, you reduce the risk that someone else will use them in a scam – even if you only use one or two actively. You can also register so-called lookalike names.
Here's how it works:
1. Contact us
2. We help you define the alphanumeric sender IDs you wish to protect within the mobile network.
3 . We register your sender name with the network operators. Please note that prices and regulations vary between countries. You can register up to 5 brand names and variants in the first pricing tier, up to 15 in the second, and up to 30 sender IDs in the third.
We take our customers’ security seriously
As a member of the industry association MORGAN, we actively work to combat fraud and enhance the security of A2P messaging. LEKAB's solutions secure the entire communication chain—from Sender ID Protection to technical access. With role-based access to our platform and geographic restrictions, we minimise the risk of unauthorised access, incorrect traffic, and international fraud attempts.
If you want to learn more about how LEKAB combat fraud and how you can protect your business, contact us today. We'll be happy to discuss how our solutions can help you stay secure and ensure your business messaging remains a trusted and effective communication channel.
About LEKAB
LEKAB is a provider of mobile messaging services, messaging APIs and software for advanced messaging and process automation. We offer digital tools and solutions for companies seeking to optimise how they communicate and engage with customers and employees via mobile – to improve productivity, availability, and customer experience through mobile channels.Want to learn more or ask for advice? Contact us today!