Officials from Roskomnadzor shared with Izvestia that last year the Antifraud system intercepted a staggering total of 391.3 million fraudulent phone calls. This figure reflects the breadth of the telephone scam landscape across the country and underscores the ongoing efforts to shield residents from deceptive practices. Multiple regional editions have echoed this information, illustrating a nationwide challenge that continues to demand vigilant monitoring and rapid response from telecom operators and law enforcement alike.
Back in December 2022, the system reportedly identified an average of about 1.5 million fraud calls every day. This daily pace reveals not only the sheer volume of attempted fraud but also the persistent ambition of scammers to reach potential victims. Such data helps authorities gauge the tempo of criminal activity and calibrate defense measures, including improved caller authentication, real-time risk scoring, and consumer education campaigns aimed at reducing susceptibility to social engineering schemes.
According to the ministry, the number of calls in July rose by roughly 21 percent compared with June, climbing to approximately 73 million attempts during that month. This seasonal spike aligns with patterns seen in many fraud cohorts, where attackers intensify their efforts during periods when people are more likely to engage with telecommunication services, such as summer travel or promotional campaigns. The trend highlights the necessity for heightened scrutiny during peak months and for operators to deploy targeted defenses when risk indicators surge.
Beeline, Megafon, MTS, and Tele2 were cited as connected partners within the system, indicating a collaborative framework among major service providers to detect and block fraudulent activity in real time. Data from the system show a chilling tactic used by some scammers: they would linger on a subscriber’s line for an average of three minutes, attempting to reach them repeatedly within a three-hour window. In particular, at least one scammer executed 1,430 separate calls trying to bypass safeguards and exploit vulnerable moments in a consumer’s day. Such insights stress the importance of rapid blocking, robust number screening, and proactive alerting to prevent successful contact with potential victims.
Earlier statements from Kosarev, an IT specialist, suggested that simply blocking unknown numbers can significantly reduce exposure to scammers. This approach, while not a total fix, serves as a practical line of defense by filtering suspicious traffic and buying time for more sophisticated verification processes to kick in. The implication is clear: a layered defense that includes dynamic number reputation, user reporting channels, and machine-learning-driven anomaly detection yields the best chance of thwarting fraudsters before harm occurs.
There have also been broader warnings about password security, with reports indicating that a substantial portion of commonly used passwords could be compromised in a very short time. Experts emphasize the importance of choosing unique, lengthy passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and staying vigilant for phishing attempts that aim to harvest credentials. While the focus here is on telecom fraud, the recurring message is the same: strong authentication and cautious behavior online dramatically reduce risk and protect personal information from hackers who exploit predictable patterns.