Recorded Voice Announcement (RVA)
To further reduce scam activity, both TPG (including AAPT and Vodafone networks) and Symbio have introduced RVAs as part of their scam mitigation practices:
TPG
Effective 11 March 2025, TPG introduced a recorded voice announcement for calls that were previously blocked. Calls presenting a CLI that meets blocking criteria now receive the following message:
"This call did not reach your intended destination. Please contact your service provider, advise them of this announcement – Message ID C661 – TPGT.”
Symbio
As previously, Symbio introduced an RVA on 1 August 2025 for calls that were previously blocked. This aligns with similar measures from other Australian carriers and aims to provide clearer insights into why calls are being blocked.
Blocked calls meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Invalid calling number
- Number on the Do Not Originate list
- Number involved in a confirmed scam event
Instead of being blocked, these calls now receive one of the following RVA messages:
1. Invalid or barred calling number / Do Not Originate list:
“Thank you for your call. Unfortunately, this call has been blocked because it has been identified as coming from an invalid, unallocated, or barred calling number. If you believe this is an error, please contact your voice service provider.”
2. Destination number linked to scam activity:
“Warning. The number you have dialled has been linked to reported scam activity. In line with ACMA’s Scam Code regulation, this call has been blocked. For advice on protecting yourself and to report suspicious numbers, please visit acma.gov.au/scam or your service provider’s website.”
We recognise that genuine number owners may be impacted by spoofing or Do Not Originate instructions. These RVAs aim to provide clearer information to assist with fault resolution and faster troubleshooting.
AI Technology Trial
Symbio is also taking part in a trial of AI technology which will see a subset of these blocked calls directed to AI bots to engage with the caller and extract insights as to the nature of the call. This is in response to feedback from customers looking for more timely insights on the nature of calls transiting their networks that are required to be blocked due to being involved in confirmed scam events or on a Do Not Originate list. We look forward to seeing whether this of value to our customers and potentially rolling it out further.
Industry Summary
We understand that the varying approaches taken by Australian mobile network operators (MNOs) can be difficult to navigate.
To assist, we’ve included a brief summary of these measures below.
