Fighting phone fraud

Main article: Telephone fraud

Chronicle

2024

Five suspects in helping Ukrainian call centers who stole 100 million rubles from Russians were arrested in Dagestan

On September 25, 2024, five suspects were arrested in Dagestan for assisting Ukrainian call centers involved in the theft of more than ₽100 million from Russians. According to the FSB, the detainees used fictitious documents to conclude contracts with Russian operators for multi-channel IP-telephony services, after which they provided access to the communication system to fraudsters from the territory of Ukraine.

According to Kommersant, the detainees provided access to multi-channel communication, which allowed fraudsters, posing as employees of Russian law enforcement agencies, financial institutions and special services, to make calls to Russian citizens in order to steal funds. As a result of these actions, significant damage was caused, but its final size may increase due to the receipt of new data.

Five suspects of assisting Ukrainian call centers who stole 100 million rubles from Russians arrested in Dagestan

The FSB explained that fraudsters used special technical means to make calls on behalf of Russian organizations. The detainees, according to preliminary data, entered into contracts for the provision of telecommunications services using forged documents, which made it possible to hide their participation in the criminal scheme. As a result of operational measures, communications, office equipment and storage media were seized from the suspects.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, a criminal case has been initiated against the detainees on the fact of complicity in fraud (part 5 of article 33, part 4 of article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). At the moment, the investigation is working to establish all the circumstances of criminal activity. Law enforcement agencies continue to check for the involvement of detainees in other episodes of fraud, and the version is also considered that part of the stolen funds could be used to finance the Armed Forces of Ukraine.^[1]

The first Russian AI system has been developed that recognizes voice deepfakes by phone

In September 2024, specialists from the Institute of Artificial Intelligence AIRI and the Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics (MTUSI) presented the first AI system in Russia capable of recognizing voice deepfakes by phone. This development is aimed at combating telephone fraud, and can also improve the security of systems using voice authentication. Read more here

Russia will launch a single platform to protect citizens from telephone and Internet fraudsters

The Ministry of Digital Development creates a single platform to protect citizens from intruders on the Internet and telephone fraudsters. Representatives of the department reported this to the TAdviser portal on August 2, 2024. Read more here.

How telecom operators in Russia are fighting fraudulent calls via Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber

Telecom operators in Russia are actively introducing systems to identify and block fraudulent calls in the messengers Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber. This is due to the transition of fraudsters to new communication channels in connection with the strengthening of the work of the anti-fraud systems of operators and the state platform for verification of telephone calls. This became known in July 2024.

According to Kommersant, telecom operators have begun to develop and introduce new technologies to combat fraud in instant messengers. VimpelCom has launched a free service that blocks or flags potentially fraudulent calls. The system checks the phone number to which the account is registered against the databases of the operator, Roskomnadzor, Central Bank, Sberbank and Kaspersky Lab. If the number is listed as fraudulent, the call is blocked, and if as spam, it is marked as "potentially dangerous."

Telecom operators in Russia are fighting fraudulent calls

Tele2 is developing a product together with banks to block suspicious transactions that can be requested after conversations in instant messengers. T-Bank and MTS have free number identifiers working in instant messengers. MTS offers this service only for iOS users. According to Oleg Zamiralov, head of the T-Bank Ecosystem Protection Center, the most effective way to block fraudulent calls is being discussed, since current databases may not take into account useful calls.

Svetlana Kirsanova, deputy general director of VimpelCom, said that more than 50% of fraudulent attacks on their network are carried out through messengers, mainly Viber and WhatsApp. Alexey Luzhnov from Bi.Zone noted that up to 90% of fraudulent calls are now made through instant messengers. According to T-Bank, about 30% of fraudulent traffic goes through messengers, and this share has not changed since 2023.

In the first half of 2024, the Antifrod state system prevented 335.58 million calls from replacement numbers, revealing an average of 56 million such calls every month. Roskomnadzor noted that foreign messengers do not confirm information about users in the databases of Russian operators, despite the requirement of legislation from 2021. This makes messengers attractive to criminals.^[2]

Russian operators began to be massively fined for skipping calls from replacement numbers

On July 9, 2024, it became known that in Russia they began to massively fine telecom operators for skipping calls from replacement numbers. This was confirmed by the decision of the Moscow District Court of St. Petersburg, which brought to administrative responsibility T2 Mobile LLC, Tele2 telecom operator, imposing a fine of 600 thousand rubles on the company. This case is not isolated, similar measures were applied to other large telecom operators in the country.

The violations were revealed during an audit conducted by the prosecutor's office. In one case, a call was made through Tele2 equipment from a foreign telecom operator "China Mobile International Limited" from a number corresponding to the Russian numbering plan. As a result of the call, fraudsters stole money from a citizen. The audit found that Tele2 did not take the necessary measures to verify the calls and missed the call with a replacement number, which caused the transit of the fraudulent call.

In Russia, operators began to be fined for skipping calls from replacement numbers

According to representatives of the press service of the courts of St. Petersburg, Tele2 did not fulfill its obligations provided for by the federal law "On Communications," and allowed the skipping of a call initiated by a foreign operator with a replacement number. This violation of the law became the basis for the imposition of a fine.

A similar violation was revealed by the telecom operator Megafon, which was also fined 1.2 million rubles for failure to comply with the law "On Communications," which obliges operators to block calls with replacement numbers. The prosecutor's office of the Lomonosov district of the Leningrad region revealed two cases of fraud using replacement numbers, as a result of which Megafon was fined 600 thousand rubles for each violation.

During one of the administrative investigations, it was established that Mr. D. received a call from France, which was displayed on the phone screen with the Russian code "8-906." According to PJSC VimpelCom, such a call to the number of the victim was not recorded. The violation was discovered as part of a review of criminal cases under articles of fraud.^[3]

FSB banned the use of VoIP accounts from foreign IP addresses to combat telephone scammers

On July 4, 2024, it became known that the Federal Security Service (FSB) introduced new restrictions for IP telephony users as part of the fight against telephone scammers. Russian telecom operators are ordered to prohibit customers from using VoIP accounts from both foreign IP addresses and addresses belonging to Russian hosting providers.

According to RBC, this order was sent to telecom operators in the form of a letter. The general director of the operator "Quantum" Igor Bobov has already informed clients about the new requirements of the FSB.

FSB introduced new restrictions for IP telephony users

This measure is aimed at suppressing the activities of fraudsters who often use virtual numbers and rent virtual PBXs abroad to commit illegal actions. Nikolai Metlyuk, CEO of Piter-IX, stressed that this approach should help track attackers.

However, the new restrictions can cause inconvenience to a number of users. In particular, companies with foreign employees or offices, as well as those who use foreign video conferencing services, such as Zoom, may have difficulties.

Anton Salov, a member of the organizing committee of the Professional Association in the Field of Cloud Technologies, noted that the measure will also affect people on foreign business trips or on vacation - they will not be able to call the public telephone network from abroad.

The ban on the use of VoIP through Russian hosting providers is associated with the ability to bypass restrictions using virtual servers and VPNs. Blocking this channel is designed to make the system more efficient.

The new FSB initiative is a continuation of a set of measures to combat telephone fraud. Previously Roskomnadzor , it forbade operators to skip calls from numbers not registered in the Antifrod system, and also began to study the possibility of automatic blocking of foreign calls.^[4]

Fraudulent traffic is less and less reaching subscribers

In the first 5 months of 2024, the number of daily fraudulent calls that directly reached subscribers averaged 20-30 thousand. In the same period of 2023, the average value reached 75 thousand. Such information on June 14, 2024 was shared in the press service of the State Duma deputy RFAnton Nemkin with reference to Kommersant.

At the same time, in 2024, a larger number of fraudulent calls reaching users are made through the use of DEF technology - virtual numbers that do not have any geographical reference. At this time, the indicator of the use of geographically fixed numbers practically comes to naught, despite the fact that in 2023 its value reached 10 thousand calls per day.

MegaFon The "" noted that a significant decrease in the volume of fraudulent calls that reached subscribers is due to the efficiency of both operators and communications state the platform for blocking calls from replacement numbers. " The statement Antifraud Tele2 said that daily verification of calls can prevent up to 1.5 million fraudulent calls to the attacks operator's network.

The decrease in the share of fraudulent traffic is directly related to the work of the Antifrod platform, which Roskomnadzor launched in 2022, Anton Nemkin is sure.

As of June 2024, most of the operators were connected to the platform for blocking calls from replacement numbers - the number capacity reached 97%. Since the beginning of 2024, it has been possible to block about 248 million fraudulent calls, and since the launch of the platform - more than 1 billion. By the end of 2024, the number capacity of the system is expected to reach 100%. Telecom operators who did not connect to the platform have already faced significant fines, - said the deputy.

At the same time, Nemkin notes, fraudsters react instantly to the introduction of new restrictions, updating their strategies and changing methods of achieving goals.

First, the frequency of use of DEF numbers has been increasing since at least 2022. Let me remind you that Government of Russia I recognized DEF numbers as a threat to security in the field Internet back in 2023. From September 1, 2024, services for issuing DEF numbers are blocked. Nevertheless, attackers continue to actively use virtual numbers, registering on foreign resources for renting numbers. Secondly, fraudulent traffic has largely moved to. As of messengers June 2024, in the overall traffic structure, the share of fraudulent calls in instant messengers on average can reach 60%, and in some cases 80%, the deputy said.

In response to current trends, the state is constantly updating its methods of dealing with attackers.

For example, the development of amendments aimed at tightening the sale of SIM-cards and provisions related to user identification is quite active. But I repeat that the most effective way to protect yourself is to follow very simple rules of digital literacy. Never provide personal information about yourself, including data bank cards and SMS codes to third parties, no matter who they are represented by: bank, Ministry of Internal Affairs, MPSC. No organization will ever ask you for such information, it is confidential, the parliamentarian recalled.

5 people arrested in Russia in case of Ukrainian fraudulent call center that stole 7 billion rubles

On April 8, 2024, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation announced the arrest of five people who, according to law enforcement agencies, were involved in the work of Ukrainian fraudulent call centers. Only one such communication center could earn more than 7 billion rubles from embezzlement of funds from Russians, the ministry said in a statement.

According to the FSB, the money earned by fraudulent call centers through a chain of financial transactions was accumulated in Ukrainian banks and went to finance the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). Through foreign banks, payments were made for communication services used in fraud, as well as financing the maintenance of technical infrastructure and telecommunications equipment.

FSB announced the arrest of five people who were involved in the work of Ukrainian fraudulent call centers

The attackers ensured the work of special equipment, which made it possible to replace the numbers of swindlers calling from abroad with Russian ones. Fraudsters introduced themselves as employees of financial institutions and law enforcement agencies, after which they convinced Russians to transfer savings and credit funds to so-called safe accounts, "said Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk.

It is reported that during operational activities, law enforcement agencies seized equipment necessary for the activities of fraudsters, money and digital assets, as well as jewelry and luxury goods. Arrests were also imposed on objects of movable and immovable property.

The arrested suspects were charged under Part 4 of Art. 159 ("Fraud") of the Criminal Code. Russia According to the Russian, MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS the members of the criminal group used offices in,,,, and in their activities To Moscow St. Petersburg. Yaroslavl Sochi According Moscow to Leningrad Oblast preliminary data, the fraudulent scheme has been in effect since 2022. The FSB^[5]

Telecom operators in Russia have introduced a new mechanism for protecting against theft of SIM cards

In January 2024, Russian operators introduced a new mechanism for protecting against theft of SIM cards. It consists in using the subscriber's e-mail.

As they write, SheetsVimpelCom"""" began to offer its client the protection of SIM cards by two-factor authentications sending a verification code to e-mail. We are talking about those cases when fraudsters are trying to issue a reissue of a SIM card in a communication salon using a fake power of attorney. According to experts interviewed by the publication, this is the most popular and inexpensive way to hack a specific person. Thus, malefactors annually steal up to a thousand subscriber numbers of various operators.

VimpelCom said that if the attacker does not have access to the email of the potential victim, the application for the replacement of the SIM card will remain in the "pending" status. Then, to complete the procedure, an additional document will be required, for example, a driver's license or SNILS. At the same time, the subscriber will receive an SMS notification from the operator about an attempt to replace the SIM card and will be able to respond in a timely manner to potential fraudulent actions, the company noted.

At the beginning of 2024, Tele2 also launched two-factor authentication to enter the personal account, which is associated with e-mail. The operator blocks incoming SMS for 24 hours after replacement so that attackers cannot withdraw money.

Tele2 employees check the issuance of a notarized power of attorney on the website of the Federal Notary Chamber. The document is required to reissue the SIM card in the absence of the client.

The representative of Megafon said that when replacing the SIM-card with a valid number, the subscriber will receive an SMS notification that the replacement is taking place. The message contains instructions with steps to be taken if the user has not initiated a replacement, he added.^[6]

2023

The Roskomnadzor system blocked almost 2 billion calls from fraudsters in a year

The system of blocking calls from substitution numbers "Antifrod," created by Roskomnadzor, in 2023 blocked almost 2 billion calls from fraudsters. In December 2023, this figure was the largest for the entire time of its work. This was announced on January 19, 2023 by the press service of the State Duma deputy RFAnton Nemkin. Read more here.

In Russia, services that lease virtual mobile numbers will be blocked

The Russian government decided to ban services that lease virtual mobile numbers (or DEF numbers), recognizing their use of such numbers as a threat to security in the field of communications and the Internet.^[7] government decree amends the Rules for centralized management of a public communication network. It is assumed that this ban will have a positive impact on reducing the number of scammers. The document will enter into force on September 1, 2024. Such information with TAdviser on September 22, 2023 was shared in the press service of the State Duma deputy RFAnton Nemkin. Read more here.

Russian telecom operators will be fined heavily for unidentified equipment against replacement numbers

In mid-February 2023, it became known that Russian telecom operators would be fined heavily for refusing to install equipment against replacement numbers. The corresponding bill was approved by the government commission on legislative activities.

We have been saying for a long time that it is necessary to restore order on the telecom market. The wild number of telephone frauds is a direct result of the bad faith of individual, especially small, operators who prefer to make money on crime, "said Alexander Khinshtein, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications.

The document provides for increased fines for operators who skip calls from fraudsters from replacement numbers and allow them to remain anonymous. The corresponding amendments are proposed to be made to the Code of Administrative Offenses.

The bill is aimed at ensuring the safety of citizens and the state, combating telephone fraud and telephone terrorism. Modern technologies allow you to make calls with the substitution of an incoming number. This is used by both fraudsters and telephone terrorists who report false mining. Therefore, it is often not possible to determine the location of the caller, - explained Igor Cherepanov, deputy chairman of the board of the Russian Bar Association, quoted by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

He recalled that the use of replacement numbers by fraudsters becomes possible due to the presence of a large number of unscrupulous telecom operators who evade the obligation to introduce a system of operational-search measures.

According to Rossiyskaya Gazeta, mobile companies establish systems of operational-search measures at their own expense. The cost of the equipment depends on the traffic transmitted by the operator and the transmission rate. If the company does not have the financial opportunity to immediately purchase equipment, you can use outsourcing services.^[8]

2022

Blocking fraudulent numbers in Russia has grown 4 times

In 2022, the Bank of Russia initiated the blocking of more than 756 thousand fraudulent telephone numbers, which is more than four times more than a year earlier, and is the maximum indicator since the beginning of such work of the regulator in 2019. These data were released by the Central Bank in mid-February 2023.

As noted in the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, in 2022, scenarios related to partial mobilization were added to the previously used scenarios of calls from attackers, namely calls from allegedly "security service specialists of the bank," "law enforcement agencies" and "Central Bank."

At the same time, cellular operators do not confirm a sharp increase in the number of fraudulent calls over mobile networks. Tele2 told CNews that the impressive increase in detected fraudulent numbers, which is mentioned in the Central Bank report, may be associated with a "low base for comparison in 2021."

It is important to take into account that the correlation between the number of fraudulent numbers and the volume of thefts is also conditional, since potential victims may not respond to attempts to mislead them, Tele2 said.

Sergey Khrenov, director of prevention of fraud and loss of income at Megafon, says that the operator does not record a multiple increase in the number of calls from mobile numbers in its network. He suggested that a significant part of such calls are made in instant messengers, and when determining the source of an unwanted call, they can be counted as calls from mobile numbers. " He also added that in 2021 and the first half of 2022, fraudulent calls were made using the substitution of urban numbering.

MegaFon also cited data according to which the number of fraudulent calls with the substitution of Russian city numbers decreased 10 times by the end of 2022 compared to the beginning of the year.^[9]

The principle of operation of the state platform to combat telephone fraudsters

In December 2022, the official launch of the unified platform for verification of telephone calls (EPVV) "Antifrod," which is designed to combat telephone fraud, took place. Read more here.

Mishustin approved the requirements for the system of blocking calls from replacement numbers

In November 2022 Mikhail Mishustin , the Prime Minister signed a decree "On approval of the rules for sending to the system for ensuring that telecom operators comply with the requirements for the provision of communication services and services for passing traffic in a public communication network and receiving information from the specified system." We are talking about a system for blocking calls SMS and from replacement numbers. "" Antifraud More. here

Orange Business Services was fined for skipping a call from a replacement number from abroad

As it became known on August 19, 2022, for the first time in Russia, a telecom operator was fined for skipping a call from a replacement number from abroad. In accordance with the court decision, Orange Business Services will have to pay 1 million rubles. Read more here.

Interpol covered a network of black call centers operating in 76 countries. 2 thousand people arrested, $50 million confiscated

In mid-June 2022, Interpol announced an operation to detain members of a global network of black call centers. In total, about 2 thousand people were arrested, $50 million were confiscated.

As part of an operation called First Light 2022, which Interpol has coordinated annually since 2014, law enforcement officials from 76 countries raided 1,770 call centers suspected of conducting fraudulent transactions such as telephone and romantic fraud, email fraud and financial crimes.

Among the 2 thousand people arrested during Operation First Light 2022 were call centers operators and scammers, as well as money launderers. Interpol said that during the operation, 4 thousand bank accounts were frozen and 3 thousand suspects were identified.

This June 2022 operation is the latest example of governments and law enforcement agencies around the world trying to counter growing cyber threats, including viruses extortioners other crimes. Interpol also works closely not only with law enforcement, but also with fund providers cyber security such as, and, through an Fortinet Palo Alto Networks Trend Micro information-sharing program called Gateway, which was instrumental in the operation that led to the arrest of suspects from. SilverTerrier Such cooperation between the public and private sectors is crucial as countries and companies try to guard against increasingly sophisticated gangs of cybercriminals.

Interpol has also been told of a number of new trends, including how herders launder money through victims' personal bank accounts, how social media fuels human trafficking and how criminals posing as bank employees trick people into giving login details via vishing. Another trend identified by the organisation is that cybercriminals impersonate Interpol employees to get money from people who fear they are under investigation.^[10]

A new system for combating telephone spam will work in Russia

In Russia, in the coming months, another system for combating spam calls with unwanted SMS messages will begin to work., Which will allow subscribers to leave complaints about certain calls on the websites of their telecom operators, and for those who want to immediately attract the attention of the authorities, a similar function will be available on the website of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia (FAS). This became known on March 21, 2022.

After filing such a complaint within 72 hours, the number from which the spam was received will be blocked. The system can start working no later than June 1, 2022.

Representatives of the FAS confirmed that such a system is really preparing for deployment. They also noted that as of March 2022, the department receives an incessant stream of complaints about spam and scammers.

Representatives of the FAS noted that the complaint form for spam calls will be added to the agency's website in the second quarter of 2022 (April 1 - June 30). After reviewing the application, the number will be blocked in the networks of all operators connected to the system.

For more effective work to protect citizens from unwanted advertising, it is necessary to work together with mobile operators. We have already agreed on how this service will work, "Karina Taukenova, deputy head of the FAS, told the publication.

In other words, if the operator is not connected to the spam blocking system, then his subscriber's complaint about unwanted calls and SMS messages may not result in blocking the number from which the ad is being called or sent.

According to the source, the form of filing a complaint about spam will be built into their websites and operators of the Big Four - MTS, Tele2, Megafon and Beeline. It was not known whether other operators, including regional and virtual ones, plan to connect to this initiative as of March 21, 2022.

The FAS and operators started talking about the creation of a unified anti-spam system only after a sharp increase in the number of unwanted calls from abroad using substitution numbers. Such calls have become a frequent occurrence since the last days of February 2022.

While Russia does not have a unified system for combating telephone spammers, operators are trying to fight them on their own. Thus, in the MTS and Megafon networks, the antispam system has been operating since 2021. For two, these operators have blocked over 272 million advertising calls.

In Megafon, antispam is based on analytical algorithms. After recognizing the advertising call, they direct them to a specially created voice box. According to representatives of the operator, by March 2022, the number of processed spam calls increased to 50 million per month. During the service, the number of complaints about spam on the Megafon network decreased by 1.5 times.

Beeline and Tele2 are preparing to launch similar services in the second quarter of 2022. At the same time, Tele2 has the opportunity to complain about spam through a call center. Representatives of the operator did not specify how many people used it^[11].

2021

Roskomnadzor creates a system for blocking fraudulent calls from replacement numbers

On December 29, 2021, the Main Radio Frequency Center (GRCC), subordinate to Roskomnadzor, signed a contract for the study of technology that will prohibit the substitution of telephone numbers. This became known on January 25, 2022. Read more here.

Operators will be fined ₽1 million for calls to subscribers from replacement numbers

On December 22, 2021, the State Duma adopted in the third (final reading) the law on the introduction of fines for skipping calls using substitution numbers. The adopted amendments establish administrative responsibility for non-fulfillment by telecom operators of the obligation to transfer the subscriber number or unique identification code:

• for officials, fines will range from 30 thousand to 100 thousand rubles;
• for individual entrepreneurs - from 200 thousand to 800 thousand rubles;
• for legal entities - from 500 thousand to 1 million rubles.

The document establishes a ban on number substitution when establishing voice connections and transmitting SMS - both on the telephone network and on the Internet. Fines will be levied on those telecom operators who do not connect to the system for ensuring compliance with the requirements for the provision of communication services and traffic passing in the public communication network.

As Alexander Khinshtein, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications, explained, the use of a replacement number is one of the main mechanisms of fraudulent schemes. For example, a call comes from a neighboring state, and a person sees an incoming number with a Russian city code.

The law is a real step to combat cybercrime and phone fraud, which has become a real disaster for people. More than a quarter of all reported crimes are crimes involving the use of information technology, "he said.

According to Khinshtein, the law "On Communications" obliges operators to deliver a call to a subscriber under the original number, but this rule was everywhere ignored, since no punishment was provided for its violation.

The deputy considers this law, as well as on extrajudicial blocking of sites and on uniform Internet tariffs of operators for schools and other socially significant objects, to be one of the most important.^[12]

Russian operators were obliged to block calls and SMS from abroad by replacement numbers

On December 1, 2021, a law came into force on blocking calls and SMS messages from abroad to Russia by substitution numbers by telecom operators. The document was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 2, 2021.

The law provides for the obligation of operators to stop the provision of communication services and traffic transit services when a connection outgoing from the network of a foreign operator under a Russian number is detected, if the calling subscriber is not a client of a domestic operator located abroad, as well as if the connecting operator has no subscriber number or subscriber identification code. SMS messages will also be blocked.

It is specified that operators do not have the right to change the number or unique identification code of the initiator of the connection, which must remain unchanged.

Earlier, the All-Russian People's Front (ONF) called on mobile operators to warn customers about suspicious calls and block them. Social activists noted that fraud with numbers has now become one of the main trump cards of fraudsters who steal money from bank accounts. People often do not check who calls them if they see the number of a credit institution on the determinant, and therefore trust the scammers with their money, the ONF noted.

The problem has become acute in recent years - the monthly damage to Russians from the actions of telephone fraudsters reaches 5 billion rubles (data for November 2021).

However, substitution numbers are used not only by fraudsters, but also by banks, retail, the service sector and other industries to inform customers. According to experts interviewed by the newspaper, the ban will not solve the problem of fraud, since about 11 million illegal SIM cards are in circulation.

The head of the Group-IB department for the investigation of high-tech crimes, Andrei Kolmakov, believes that measures within the country will lead to the fact that attackers will begin to use similar services abroad.

Fyodor Muzalevsky, director of the technical department of RTM Group, believes that measures to block gray numbers remain extremely relevant. But he considers the problem "the technical unavailability of providers and even their disinterest, because even replacement numbers are traffic, and it is paid."

The VimpelCom"" stated that every eighth incoming call is undesirable, and the number of methods of fraud using social engineering, unfortunately, does not decrease.^[13][14]

Putin signed a law on blocking calls from replacement numbers

The President Russia Vladimir Putin signed a law blocking calls and SMS messages from replacement numbers. The corresponding document was published on the portal of legal information on July 2, 2021.

It happens that scammers call from other countries from their local phones - using deception programs, you can make the incoming number be defined as Russian. During the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the number of fraudulent calls increased significantly. In addition, there are often calls from abroad about false mining of objects in Russia.

In accordance with the law, the telecom operator must stop providing communication services and traffic transit services when a connection outgoing from the network of a foreign operator under a Russian number is detected, if the calling subscriber is not a client of a Russian operator located abroad, and if the connecting operator does not have a subscriber number or the caller's identification code. SMS messages will be blocked in the same way.

Operators do not have the right to change the number or unique identification code of the connection initiator, which must remain unchanged. You can call from abroad from a regular Russian number without restrictions.

The law signed by Putin also obliges telecommunication operators to connect Roskomnadzor to the system created by the radio frequency service to ensure that telecom operators comply with the requirements when providing communication services and traffic transit services in a public communication network. They will be obliged to exchange information with the system in a manner that will be determined by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Russian Federation.

The provisions of the law come into force on December 1, 2021, with the exception of a number of norms. From May 1, 2022, operators will have to transmit numbers and unique subscriber codes to each other unchanged when establishing a connection.^[15]"

Ministry of Internal Affairs signed a contract for the development of a service to combat telephone fraudsters

In early May 2021, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ministry of Internal Affairs) of Russia announced the development of a service to combat telephone fraud. A solution called Anti-Fraudster is planned to be created by the end of the year. Read more here.

The Ministry of Digital Development recognized the substitution of the number as an official threat to subscribers

In April 2021, the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation presented a draft decree of the Government of the Russian Federation on securing the threat of phone number substitution in the legal field.

According to Vedomosti, the Ministry of Digital Development proposes to replace the caller's number in the "Rules for Centralized Management of the Public Communications Network." They also define the types of threats to the stability, safety and integrity of the communication network.

After the introduction of these changes, the Ministry of Digital Development, the FSB, Roskomnadzor and other relevant departments will have to develop their own norms to combat telephone fraud with number substitution. Fraudulent actions with number substitution will be blocked.

By April 2021, the substitution of a subscriber number or a unique subscriber identification code in any form is not fixed at the legislative level. As a result, when a call from a Moscow number comes from abroad, the operator transmits this number unchanged - as Moscow, TASS reports the Russian Information Agency with reference to Deputy Head of the Ministry of Digital Development Oleg Ivanov.

The introduction into the right field in an explicit form of a threat of number substitution will allow Roskomnadzor to legally, within the framework of centralized management of the public communication network, oblige operators not to miss calls with the substitution of a subscriber number or a unique subscriber identification code, he said.

On April 20, 2021, the deputy chairman of the board Sberbank Stanislav Kuznetsov called telephone fraud a "national disaster." According to him, about "every tenth call made to any citizen Russia is a telephone fraud." He noted that calls are often made using number substitution technology, since there are still opportunities for this in Russia.^[16][17]

The Ministry of Digital Development has developed rules to combat the substitution of numbers by fraudsters

In March 2021, it became known about the draft government decree "On approval of the rules for connecting telecommunication networks and their interaction" developed by the Ministry of Digital Development. With this document, the department expects to exclude the possibility of swapping telephone numbers by scammers.

The rules determine the procedure and conditions for connecting telecommunication networks and their interaction with the telecommunication network of an operator occupying a significant position in a public communication network, as well as the peculiarities of connecting telecommunication networks and their interaction with the telecommunication network of a universal service operator using a communication infrastructure designed to provide universal communication services.

The document establishes the right of the carrier when making a telephone call to request information about the originator of the call and not to miss the call if the answer is not received or the information received does not correspond to the call being made.

Representatives of telecommunications operators interviewed by ComNews believe that the Ministry of Digital Development initiative will help reduce telephone fraud.

Existing regulatory gaps interfere with the prompt identification of attackers. There is a possibility that the proposed initiatives will help reduce the severity of the problem, the press service of ER-Telecom Holding JSC reported. At the same time, some experts admit that it will only get worse.

Sergey Efimov, General Director of the Association of Telephone Operators (AOTS), believes that the document does not solve not only the issues of substitution and fraud, it aggravates the situation.

Now the dominant operators will be able to arbitrarily block calls from the networks of smaller operators. These are purely corrupt rules. You need to change the network model. If you control the dialing (range) of calls coming from the connected operators (numbers B), this will give much more. Substitution in general should be banned for now. Society is not ready for this. In Europe, they are preparing only in cloud numbering, but before that they still need to grow, "he explained.[18]

2020

A fraudulent call center that earned millions was covered in Russia

A fraudulent call center that earned millions was covered in Russia. This was reported at the end of October 2020 by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.

It was previously established that the attackers organized a call center, from where they called potential victims and introduced themselves as employees of the bank's security service, - said the official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia Irina Volk.

According to her, the swindlers found out confidential information from customers and gained access to their bank accounts. After that, they bought expensive digital equipment in online stores with the money of the victims, which they then sold.

Law enforcement agencies took up the criminal scheme after the statement of a citizen who reported the theft of more than 2.8 million rubles from her bank accounts. On the fact of this theft, an investigator of the Department of Internal Affairs for the South-Western Administrative District of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the city of Moscow opened a criminal case.

The employees identified two suspects - couriers, on whom, according to the investigation, orders paid by the victim's bank cards were issued. One of them was detained red-handed while trying to receive goods. In the Krasnogorsk urban district of the Moscow region, operatives detained his alleged accomplice and 10 couriers.

Later, another suspect was detained, who, presumably, was engaged in the distribution of orders between couriers, control over the transfer of goods for sale, and the transfer of funds to cryptocurrency. In relation to all 13 defendants, a preventive measure was chosen in the form of detention.

According to police, the group issued over 420 orders of equipment, committing more than 70 thefts. Criminal cases have been initiated on all facts. In addition, a criminal case was initiated on the organization of a criminal community.^[19]

The Ministry of Communications has created a working group to combat telephone fraudsters

On September 7, 2020, the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications announced the creation of a working group to combat telephone fraudsters. It includes representative offices of the department, as well as the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the FSB, Roskomnadzor, the Bank of Russia, credit organizations and telecom operators.

The working group will develop recommendations for carrying out measures aimed at blocking the unauthorized use of telephone numbers. In addition, the group plans to pay attention to the algorithms of the functioning of IP telephony services, as well as the identification and blocking of phone numbers of fraudulent call centers. Another line of work of the group is related to issues of legislative regulation in the field of telephone fraud.

The emergence of this advisory body is due to the rapid increase in cases of deception of clients of credit institutions using telephone numbers. I am sure that by joint efforts of the members of the working group we will develop effective ways to solve the problem, "said Oleg Ivanov, deputy head of the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications, who was appointed chairman of the interdepartmental working group to consider issues of combating fraud committed using telephone numbers.

In July 2020, the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications prepared a bill that proposes to prohibit mobile operators from issuing numbers assigned to other operators to their subscribers. The document is aimed at combating fraudsters in the field of mobile communications.

The authors of the bill indicate that in Russian legislation there is no direct ban on the use by operators of someone else's numbering resource.

This legal uncertainty allows unscrupulous market participants to use someone else's number capacity. In this regard, the number of cases of fraud in the provision of communication services has seriously increased in the Russian Federation. The proposed bill will significantly reduce the number of cases of fraud, the document says.[20]

The Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications is developing a database of fraudsters and spammers in Russia

On August 21, 2020, it became known about the creation in Russia of a single database of telephone numbers of fraudsters and spammers. Oleg Ivanov, deputy head of the department, spoke about the new project of the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications. Read more here.

The Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications will prohibit operators from giving subscribers numbers of other operators

On July 20, 2020, it became known about the decision of the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications to prohibit operators from giving subscribers numbers assigned to other telecommunications companies. Thanks to this, the department intends to reduce communications fraud - Telephone fraud.

The telecom operator does not have the right, on the basis of the agreement on the provision of communication services, to allocate to the subscriber a subscriber number corresponding to the Russian system and numbering plan from the numbering resource not allocated to him in the prescribed manner or allocated to another telecom operator, the document prepared by the ministry says.

Main article: Cellular communications (Russian market)

A fraudulent call center was liquidated in a Moscow pre-trial detention center

In mid-July 2020, it became known about the discovery in the cells of prisoners of the Moscow SIZO "Sailor Silence" of a fraudulent call center. The inmates called bank customers and tried to steal money from them.

During the special operation of the FSIN Penitentiary Service on July 16, 2020, a virtually full-fledged fraudulent call center was found in the Matrosskaya Tishina cells of the pre-trial detention center: dozens of phones, hundreds of SIM cards, routers for accessing the Internet, wireless headphones and microphones. During the searches, the prisoners blocked the doors and tried to destroy the prohibited equipment and black accounting with an indication of the proceeds from fraud on the Internet, which was carried out by several dozen people and directly from the "Sailor's Silence" cells.

One of the initiators of this special operation was Sberbank, which has long tried to obtain searches in prisons: the bank's security service has repeatedly recorded geo-locations of fraudulent calls to its clients indicating correctional institutions.

The Presnensky District Court of Moscow, at the request of the Main Investigation Department of the TFR, arrested two employees of this isolation ward in the case of the illegal transfer of items prohibited in prison to prisoners, including mobile phones. As a result of operational actions, criminal cases were initiated against FSIN officers working in the pre-trial detention center, Vladislav Ostapenko and Sergei Voitko. It was they who were engaged in the supply of equipment to the cameras. Voitko personally carried one hundred smartphones to the territory of the pre-trial detention center, Ostapenko had already distributed the devices to the "employees" - prisoners.

As the secretary of the Public Monitoring Commission (PMC) Aleksey Melnikov Voitko and Ostapenko told reporters, an underground business for the trade in cigarettes, alcohol, drugs and SIM cards was organized on the territory of the pre-trial detention center.

During the preliminary investigation, it turned out that Voitko and Ostapenko held meetings of authorities, and in January 2019 they demanded 500 thousand rubles from one of the persons under investigation, threatening to worsen the conditions of detention, - said Yulia Ivanova, assistant to the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the city of Moscow.

According to the surviving documents, it was established that the prisoners paid the prison staff more than 5 million rubles. The technical costs for prisoners for "office assembly" amounted to 7 million rubles - the scale of the fraudulent call center becomes clear.

According to investigators, the phones hid in depressions that the inmates hollowed out with spoons in wooden bunks and furniture. Prisoners spoke through microphones, many used wireless headphones.

It is noted that during the search, the businessmen tried to destroy the accounting department, however, thanks to the poorly working sewage system, some of the papers were saved.^[21]

2019: Central Bank and Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications create a number substitution blocking tool

On December 19, 2019, it became known about the development in Russia of a tool for blocking the substitution of a number, which is actively used by fraudsters to steal money. The mechanism is jointly created by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Communications, Prime reports with reference to the head of the Center for Monitoring and Responding to Computer Attacks in the Credit and Financial Sphere (FinCERT) of the Central Bank Artyom Kalashnikov. The Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications confirmed this information to the agency.

Everything related to information security in our country, of course, is being considered.... We are trying to defeat the substitution of numbers. Unfortunately, here the competencies are not only ours, here is the sphere of communication, but, nevertheless, there are certain developments, and we shared with our colleagues from the ministry, we will try to apply with their consent, "Kalashnikov said.

According to him, it is planned to develop means of controlling traffic passing through the public network in order to prevent attackers from replacing the number of any organization at the connection stage.

Artyom Kalashnikov admitted that in order to introduce a mechanism for blocking the substitution of telephone numbers, legislation will have to be changed.

Earlier, the first deputy head of the information security department of the Bank of Russia Artem Sychev spoke about the need to develop amendments to the Law "On Communications" to solve the problem of number substitution. According to Sychev, some telecom operators refuse to block the phone numbers of fraudsters, and they should have certain responsibilities for regulating traffic exchange. Among other things, the rules for passing the signal between IP networks and ordinary telephony should be regulated, he noted.

Scammers can display any number on the victim's screen thanks to the SIP data transfer protocol (a type of IP telephony). The technology allows you to call from an Internet browser and from a mobile phone.^[22]

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