In Russia, a mechanism is being developed at the legislative level to block international incoming calls for citizens over sixty years of age. The initiative is included in the second package of anti-fraud measures. The bill has already passed the first reading, and now the deputies are preparing the document for consideration in the second.
Earlier versions of the document provided for the automatic disconnection of international calls for pensioners by default. To restore the ability to receive such calls, the subscriber would have to personally contact the telecom operator. The current version has changed the approach: now any user — mobile or landline — will be able to independently set a ban on incoming calls from abroad. An exception was made only for calls from Belarus: they will remain available without restrictions.
Rostelecom confirmed that the international call filtering system is in the final stages of implementation. The company's infrastructure allows for the rapid application of settings at the request of the subscriber or within the framework of legislative requirements. Other major operators are also testing relevant solutions to ensure a smooth launch of the innovations.
Telephone fraud remains one of the most common schemes for deceiving elderly people. Calls from foreign numbers are often used to create the appearance of an "official appeal" — on behalf of banks, government agencies, or delivery services. Limiting such calls should reduce the number of successful attacks on gullible subscribers.