The Russian government is preparing a new initiative to protect citizens from telephone scammers — the ability to set a self-ban on international calls. The measure will allow subscribers to independently block incoming calls from abroad, where fraudsters often operate, masquerading as Russian operators. The proposal will be included in the second package of "Anti-Fraud", which is planned to be submitted to the State Duma before the end of the year.
Many criminal schemes are based on number spoofing: attackers use foreign communication channels to hide their location. Despite the fact that international calls account for less than 5% of all complaints about fraudulent calls, they are more often associated with large thefts. According to Beeline, about 400 thousand such calls are recorded monthly, which are blocked by anti-fraud systems of operators.
The press service of T2 stressed that the idea deserves support, but it is important to create a convenient way for customers to enable and disable self-ban. According to them, even a single prevented call can save a subscriber from serious financial losses. MTS, at the same time, warns against total restrictions, pointing out that corporate and government clients have a legitimate need for international communication.
The self-ban function for international calls is already available from some operators: users can temporarily block external calls and, if necessary, restore access through the application or personal account. However, experts warn that blocking can complicate communication with relatives abroad, especially if messengers are also limited or unavailable.
According to Maxim Alexandrov, an expert at Code Security, a self-ban on calls can qualitatively change the situation. It will help protect vulnerable categories of citizens — the elderly and children, who are more likely to become victims of telephone scams. In addition, the initiative will be an incentive for telecom operators to strengthen control over their own communication channels.
The second package of "Anti-Fraud" also provides for new obligations for operators and banks. In case of theft of funds from a mobile account due to the operator's inaction, the damage will be reimbursed at its expense. If the bank does not take action after a warning about suspicious transactions, responsibility will be transferred to the credit institution.
Similar measures are already being applied in a number of countries. In China, for example, a ban on international calls for subscribers who do not need them has been in effect since 2022.
