Roskomnadzor is planning to enhance the capabilities of the Antifrod information system to detect cases of traffic substitution in voice calls made through popular instant messengers such as WhatsApp, Viber, and Telegram. This initiative is a part of the federal project “Information Security,” which is included in the national project “Data Economics” and is scheduled to be completed by 2030.
The decision to upgrade Antifrod comes after a noticeable increase in fraudulent calls made through messengers since the system was launched at the end of 2022. Cyphra Minister Maksut Shadaev stated that a significant portion, ranging from 70 to 80%, of fraudulent calls are carried out via WhatsApp.
By 2029, in addition to detecting calls in messengers, the plan includes establishing a verification unit to block outgoing calls from unregistered numbers, blocking calls from certain codes like 8,800 and 900 frequently used by scammers. Telecom companies have reported scammers utilizing the 900 code in calls to Viber. There have been claims by “SBER” that calls originating from number 900 are authentic and cannot be faked.
The final version of the plan for the National Project “Economics of Data” will be finalized this summer, considering input from various stakeholders, market conditions, and available funding. Currently, communication operators face limitations in monitoring voice calls through encrypted messengers as the traffic travels through data channels, preventing the operators from accessing details like phone numbers or call durations.