Australia's Optus Deploys SMS Spam Blocker

­Australia's Optus has deployed a spam filter for its SMS service to try and cut down on unwanted text messages.

A spokesman for Optus confirmed to The Australian that the mobile network switched on the technology last week.

"This technology allows Optus to monitor spamming activity globally and pre-emptively block messages that have been sent in other parts of the world. We can also move swiftly to block SMS spam if we receive a customer complaint," the spokesman said.

It's estimates that around 14 percent of successful scams affecting Australian's last year were delivered by an SMS -- representing some 12,000 fraudulent transactions.

The country's two other networks, Telstra and Vodafone are also reported to be testing similar spam blocking platforms

On the web: The Australian