People could end up missing vital health appointments because reminder texts are being labelled as 'Likely Scam', a technology expert has warned. 

For years, people across Ireland have been deluged with scam text messages, mostly trying to trick them out of money. 

On The Pat Kenny Show, Irish Independent tech editor Adrian Weckler described it as a “huge, huge problem”. 

“I think there are 360,000 cases of fraud in Ireland every year from scam texts,” he said. 

“Over €100 million from texts alone, rising to €300 million from calls. 

“There isn’t a person listening to this right now who doesn’t get scam texts and calls.” 

A woman looking at a text. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Elderly people are especially vulnerable to scam text messages and officials felt “enough is enough”. 

The result was that ComReg decided to set up a list of verified senders. 

“From now on, companies that want to send you a text with their company name on it - banks, insurance companies, digital services, hospitals, health providers,” Mr Weckler explained.  

“If they send you a text with their name on it, they’re going to have to register on our new database. 

“That way, the text will get through no problem. 

“If they don’t register and they try and send a text with their company or brand name on it - and it’s not on our register - we’re going to assume it’s a scammer, that’s a bad guy. 

“And we’re now going to start labelling it ‘Likely Scam’ at the top.” 

However, since the system was introduced there have been a number of issues. 

Notably, even texts from hospitals have been labelled as 'Likely Scam'.

A doctor with a patient. Picture by: John Cooper / Alamy Stock Photo

“Organisations that have done the right thing and correctly registered are still getting their texts labelled as ‘Likely Scam’,” Mr Weckler said. 

“They haven’t explained yet; my understanding is that this is essential a scheme that has been drawn up by the Telecoms Regulator but it’s being enforced by the mobile operators. 

“So, there’s now a game of accountability going on as to who hasn’t done the right thing somewhere in the chain.

“We’re not entirely sure yet.” 

Mr Weckler warned that many people will soon get "disillusioned" and there are fears some people will miss crucial appointments. 

“They’re going to get jaded, they’re going to get all these texts saying ‘Likely Scam’,” he added. 

“Some people are going to delete them, they’re going to miss their appointments, they’re going to not respond to verification codes. 

“One person gave me an example of buying tickets for a Bohemian’s football match and the stuff they got back was labelled ‘Likely Scam’.” 

In a statement to the Irish Independent, ComReg said they are working to “resolve this issue as soon as possible.”

Main image: A man texting on a phone and a hospital directory. Picture by: Sebastian Gollnow/DPA/Lynne Cameron/PA Archive/PA Images