SVT's reporting on spoofing, Saturday, September 18

Telecoms
In its coverage, Sveriges Television addresses a very important topic of spoofing and fraud. Criminals pretend to call from legitimate companies and organizations, and as in the case of SVT from Victim Support, and get the caller to log on to a mobile bank ID in order to swindle the caller out of money. This is a major social problem and a global one, and we therefore welcome the fact that SVT is addressing the issue so that the information reaches out and more people become aware of the risk. Spoofing in itself is not a crime, but on the contrary a tool that several actors use for perfectly legitimate purposes. For example, an employee of a public authority can use spoofing to make a call without the direct connection appearing in the caller ID, only the exchange number. But the technique can also be used by rogue operators, as in the case highlighted by SVT.

In the feature, SVT interviewed various actors and tried to shed light on the issue. However, we regret that SVT chose not to include a description of what the industry has done to try to make this type of fraud more difficult. Two years ago, the Swedish industry took the initiative to cooperate under the leadership of the Telecom Advisors, in which several authorities, including the police, have participated to find ways to deal with this. The collaboration has also resulted in a block list - where companies and organizations report phone numbers that are blocked. This blocking prevents fraud attempts on a daily basis.

But more needs to be done and many different actors need to get involved. The industry must continue to find technological solutions that can help prevent fraud. Law enforcement authorities need to investigate and prosecute these crimes. Information on how these fraudsters operate needs to be disseminated so that users are more aware of the situation and how to protect themselves. And relevant authorities need to interact with each other and with the industry to see what further action can and should be taken.

More information on how consumers can protect themselves can be found on the Telecoms Advisers website here.