Russia considers blocking incoming international calls

Russian lawmakers are discussing the introduction of a mechanism to block incoming international phone calls as part of new measures to combat telephone fraud. 

Sergey Boyarsky, head of the State Duma’s, Russian parliament's lower house, Committee on Information Policy, said the proposal is being considered during preparations for the second reading of an anti-fraud legislation, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media. 

Under the current draft, international calls would be completely blocked by default unless a subscriber gives explicit consent, with the option to later remove the restriction. However, Boyarsky said telecommunications operators are pushing for a more flexible approach. Their proposal would allow citizens to voluntarily activate a self-imposed ban on incoming international calls at their own discretion.

This voluntary “self-ban” option is now under discussion as lawmakers revise the bill ahead of its second reading, Boyarsky said.

At the same time, he argued that a stricter approach should apply to landline phones. In his view, incoming international calls to landlines should be blocked by default, with an option to disable the ban if desired.

Boyarsky said landlines are frequently targeted by fraudsters, who often call elderly people while posing as employees of clinics, housing management companies, or social services. According to him, scammers typically use these calls to build trust before persuading victims to continue the conversation on a mobile phone and transfer money.

By Sabina Mammadli