Roskomnadzor, the Russian media watchdog, is ramping up efforts to combat telephone fraud, as announced by Maxim Poskhkin, head of the control and supervision department in the communication sector. One measure being considered is the prohibition of calls through messengers in Russia if their owners fail to verify phone numbers with telecom operators. This move is aimed at tackling fraudulent calls, which often originate from messengers allowing perpetrators to remain anonymous.
Poskhkin highlighted the increasing sophistication of fraud through messengers and stressed the necessity of taking decisive action to safeguard citizens. Roskomnadzor is collaborating closely with communication operators and messenger developers to devise effective strategies to counter fraud.
Telephone fraud cases have seen a notable rise in recent years, with fraudsters employing various tactics such as impersonating bank employees or law enforcement to deceive individuals into disclosing personal information or transferring money.
To address these challenges, Roskomnadzor is working on upgrading the fraud protection system. One proposed initiative involves establishing a centralized database of phone numbers associated with fraudulent activities to swiftly detect and block suspicious calls.
In a related development, Roskomnadzor is set to enhance monitoring of virtual numbers frequently exploited by scammers. New measures for verifying users of such numbers are expected to be rolled out soon, in line with the watchdog’s ongoing efforts to combat telephone fraud.