The Government has presented a new plan to combat phone scams, an issue that affects millions of citizens daily. The Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Function, Óscar López, announced a set of measures last Wednesday in the Congress of Deputies aimed at protecting the population from cybercriminals who, with increasing sophistication, use the phone and SMS to deceive their victims.
During his appearance, López emphasized that one out of every three inquiries received on the 017 phone line of the National Institute of Cybersecurity (Incibe) is related to fraud perpetrated through calls or text messages, making government intervention crucial in stopping this type of crime.
The main measures of the plan include:
- Blocking calls not assigned to services or customers: Operators must block any call from numbers not assigned to a specific service or customer to prevent identity theft, one of the most common tactics used by scammers.
- Blocking international calls and SMS: Calls and text messages with national numbering but originating from abroad will be automatically blocked. According to Minister López, this is one of the most common fraud hotspots.
- Creation of a database managed by CNMC: The National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) will manage a database with entities that use alphanumeric characters in their messages, such as company names. Messages from unregistered entities in this database will be blocked, helping to identify and stop fraudulent messages.
- Prohibition of mobile numbers for commercial calls: With this new measure, the use of mobile numbers for commercial calls is prohibited. This will allow users to quickly identify a possible scam if they receive a call of this nature. Additionally, companies making commercial calls must use 800 or 900 numbers, known for their use in customer service, making it easier for citizens to recognize legitimate calls.
Minister López urged parliamentary groups to seek consensus on these initiatives and emphasized the importance of continuing to digitally transform the country. These measures are part of a broader strategy not only to stop phone scams but also to promote the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) and modernize public administration.
Source: Press Release from: Nota de Prensa