Regulation works

Number misuse has decreased significantly

The number of complaints about number misuse has recently fallen significantly.(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

The misuse of Austrian telephone numbers by fraudsters has fallen drastically over the past four months, as shown by the complaints received by the Number Abuse Reporting Office. The reason for this is apparently the RTR anti-spoofing regulation, which had to be technically implemented by telecom providers by September 1, 2024, according to a press release.

"While an average of around 1,400 complaints about the misuse of personal telephone numbers were registered each month from April to August 2024, the number fell to 192 complaints in September. In December, we only registered 69 complaints," said Klaus M. Steinmaurer, Managing Director of Rundfunk und Telekom Regulierungs-GmbH (RTR) for the Telecommunications and Postal Services Division.

Caution still required with foreign telephone numbers
Spoofing is a prohibited method of making calls from a fictitious - but usually actually existing - telephone number. The regulation ensures that when Austrian telephone numbers are shown on the display, the calls are actually made from Austrian connections.

However, spoofing with foreign telephone numbers is still possible. Anyone who sees an unexpected call with such a number on the display should therefore be careful. The probability that it is a fraudulent call is high, warned RTR.