A new system designed to combat SMS fraud and identity theft has come into force across Spain, affecting businesses, public administrations and other organisations sending messages to mobile users in Ibiza.

Since September 15, 2026, telecommunications operators have been required to block SMS, MMS and RCS messages using an unregistered alphanumeric sender alias. The measure is part of a national system overseen by the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) and applies in Ibiza as well as the rest of Spain.

What Has Changed?

Many businesses send messages without displaying a conventional telephone number. Instead, the sender may appear as a company or brand name, such as a bank, retailer, transport company or public administration.

These names are known as sender aliases.

Under the new system, an organisation using an alias must have that identifier registered with the CNMC's official Registro de Alias.

Messages using aliases that are not registered, or that are not being sent through an authorised provider associated with the registered alias, must be blocked by the relevant messaging providers.

Why Is the System Being Introduced?

The main objective is to make it more difficult for criminals to impersonate legitimate companies and public bodies through fraudulent messages.

This type of fraud, commonly known as smishing, can involve messages that appear to come from a bank, delivery company, government body or other trusted organisation.

Fraudsters may use these messages to encourage recipients to click on malicious links, provide personal information or reveal banking details.

The new registration system is intended to make it possible to verify the relationship between the sender name appearing in a message and the legitimate organisation behind it.

What Does This Mean for People in Ibiza?

For residents and visitors receiving messages in Ibiza, the system should mean that legitimate organisations using registered sender names can continue to identify themselves in the usual way.

Messages using aliases that do not meet the new requirements are subject to blocking.

However, the changes do not mean that every message from an unregistered business will simply disappear.

A company that has not registered an alias can still communicate with customers, but it cannot continue using that unregistered company or brand name as its sender alias.

The CNMC states that communications can continue without using the alias.

A Last-Minute Transitional Measure

There was an important change immediately before the September 15 deadline.

The CNMC introduced a temporary pre-registration system for certain aliases whose registration applications had already been submitted before 3pm on September 14 but had not yet completed the administrative validation process.

Those aliases can temporarily continue to be used provided they meet the conditions established by the CNMC.

The measure was introduced because a large number of applications were still awaiting validation immediately before the blocking rules took effect.

It is not a permanent exemption. The provisional status is subject to the remaining registration requirements and the CNMC's final decision.

What Happens to Businesses?

Businesses and organisations that use an alphanumeric name as the sender of SMS, MMS or RCS communications need to ensure that their aliases are correctly registered and associated with an authorised messaging provider.

This can affect a wide range of organisations, including retailers, banks, insurers, transport companies, healthcare services and public administrations.

A company that has not registered its alias can still send communications, but those messages need to be delivered without relying on the unregistered alias.

The Rules Also Cover MMS and RCS

The change is not limited to traditional text messages.

The rules apply to SMS, MMS and RCS communications sent to Spanish telephone numbers when an alphanumeric alias is used as the sender identifier.

The system therefore covers several types of mobile messaging rather than just conventional SMS.

What Should Residents Look Out For?

The new system is intended to make fraudulent messages harder to send, but residents should still remain cautious.

A message appearing to come from a recognised company should not automatically be considered genuine. Users should avoid clicking suspicious links or providing banking credentials, passwords or personal information through unexpected messages.

The new registration system is designed to strengthen the identification of legitimate senders, but normal precautions against digital fraud remain important.

A National Change With a Direct Impact on Ibiza

The new rules are part of a nationwide regulatory system rather than an Ibiza-specific measure.

The Registro de Alias is managed by the CNMC and covers messages sent to Spanish telephone numbers. The underlying regulations were established through national legislation aimed at combating fraudulent communications and identity impersonation.

For people in Ibiza, the practical change will mainly be noticed when receiving messages from companies or organisations that previously appeared under a brand name rather than a telephone number.

The system is now in force, with the CNMC continuing to process registrations and manage the new framework.