Automating the detection of suspicious calls across networks and delivering timely, nationwide alerts to the public pose formidable challenges for criminal schemes that rely on social engineering. In a recent interview with RT, Vladimir Zykov, a seasoned voice in public communications and security, pointed to the potential benefits of technology and coordinated action. He noted his association with the Social Security agency and the Professional Users Association of Ambassadors, known as Appsim, and argued that the real prize for lawful practice is not merely catching scammers after the fact but forewarning the public in quick, accurate, and widely accessible ways. The vision is to create a system that surfaces suspicious patterns of calls and messages, flags them in real time, and triggers public advisories that reach millions through multiple channels. Such capability would force scammers to adjust tactics or abandon certain lines of attack altogether, shrinking the pool of potential victims and reducing the overall impact of scams on everyday life. The aim is to shift the balance toward prevention rather than reaction, and to do so with speed, scale, and credibility across North America.
One pillar of that strategy is a robust Antispam feature integrated into the public service platform. Zykov described how this technology could rapidly identify suspicious calls across instant messaging apps and telephone numbers, drawing on signals from network behavior, reported patterns, and user feedback. The proposed system would not only warn users about potential fraud but also streamline their reporting. When a breach or deception is detected, individuals could submit complaints directly to the federal anti-fraud service and to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, ensuring that cases are logged, investigated, and prioritized. The goal is to shorten the time between detection and action, build a central repository of scam indicators, and enable authorities to act on emerging campaigns before they spread widely. In practice, this would mean fewer successful scams and greater confidence among the public that their communications channels are being defended.
Beyond software and systems, Zykov underlined the importance of a national information campaign on television. Citizens indicated that regular public service announcements should warn about common fraud schemes, including calls from individuals posing as police or other officials, fabricated scenarios such as voting irregularities, and requests for sensitive personal data. The messages would need to be clear, practical, and repeated across prime time and through channels that families watch together. The campaign would pair factual guidance with concrete steps for verification and reporting, helping people distinguish between legitimate authorities and impostors. The broader objective is to cultivate a culture of skepticism toward unsolicited requests and to provide a simple, trusted path for reporting suspicious activity. Regular exposure to these warnings is expected to reduce the chance that victims fall for convincing but fraudulent narratives.
The danger of evolving scams calls for an integrated approach, as Zykov argued. Technology keeps pace with threats when paired with persistent education and public engagement. A system that identifies risks, coupled with a reliable way to report them, creates a feedback loop that strengthens both technology and civic resilience. The result would be a measurable drop in successful fraud attempts as attackers encounter tougher detection, faster alerts, and an environment where citizens feel empowered to act. The plan involves multiple government agencies, the private sector, and civil society working in concert to protect digital and telecommunications spaces. Though it requires investment and coordination, the payoff is lower crime, safer online communities, and greater trust in essential services across Canada and the United States.
Even as these plans unfold, historical episodes remind the public of the constant threat from hackers. Earlier in Russia, a large-scale attack by the hacker group known as T558 disrupted services and demonstrated how quickly vulnerabilities can be exploited. That episode reinforces the urgency of building resilient systems capable of detecting malicious activity, blocking it in real time, and adapting to new tactics. It also underscores the importance of international and cross-sector collaboration, shared threat intelligence, and robust incident response. The proposal to combine automated detection, rapid reporting, and public awareness aligns with lessons from past incidents and aims to reduce attackers’ opportunities to operate. In a landscape where scams are increasingly persuasive and pervasive, a proactive, comprehensive program offers a path to safer communications, greater public trust, and a more secure digital environment for residents and visitors across North America.