Romanian Telecom Firms Told to Block Foreign Calls Spoofing Local Numbers

Romania starts blocking international calls that spoof national phone numbers to thwart fraud attempts.

National regulations aim to block fraudulent international calls

Starting last week, Romanians are better protected from fraudulent phone calls that impersonate public institutions, banks, or companies. The National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM) has mandated telecom operators to block calls from outside the country that falsely display Romanian phone numbers.

This measure targets the growing wave of telephone scams manipulating the displayed number to look legitimate. By intercepting these calls at the network level, authorities aim to significantly reduce the effectiveness of such deception, commonly known as “Caller Line Identification Spoofing” (CLI Spoofing).

Technology behind the countermeasures

CLI Spoofing is a method scammers often use to forge caller ID information and pass themselves off as a trusted entity. These scams typically weaponize trust to extract sensitive information such as banking credentials or personal data, or even trick the victim into making direct payments to the attacker.

To tackle this threat, ANCOM worked closely with major telecom providers and Romania’s Criminal Investigations Directorate. The technical solution now in place filters international calls that display fake or incorrectly formatted national numbers, particularly those that mimic landlines or local mobile prefixes.

Dedicated solutions enhance protection

This nationwide effort is complemented by specialized software, such as Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android, which recently introduced a Call Blocking feature. The feature leverages AI, crowdsourced intelligence and behavior-based analysis to block suspicious calls before users even pick up.

Combining regulatory safeguards like the ANCOM measure with dedicated tools creates a more resilient defense against increasingly sophisticated phone scams.

Users should remain vigilant

Despite improved security, authorities urge the public to stay alert. People should avoid sharing personal or financial information over the phone, especially when receiving unsolicited calls, regardless of how convincing the caller may sound.

Keeping mobile apps updated, activating call filtering options and reporting suspicious activity to relevant authorities can help create a safer communication environment.