Daniel Ferreira/Metrópoles @danielferreirafoto
After Não Me Perturbe, which blocked tens of billions of calls, Anatel is working on new technology, Baigorri informed Metrópoles
The National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) will launch a new service with the aim of inhibiting false calls. The launch will be this Wednesday (27/3). The information was passed directly by the agency’s president, Carlos Manuel Baigorri to the Metropolises Interview.
The measure was adopted based on the assumption that a cell phone turned on is almost a guarantee of an unwanted call, a telemarketing call or fraud. As if traditional means were not enough, now criminals are able to make fake calls, simulating real numbers from official banks. They call as if they were employees of the institutions and try to check cards, data, sell products, with a single aim: to extract money from those who fall for the scam.
It was precisely to try to reduce this type of crime, as when it launched Don’t Perturbe to block telemarketing calls, that Anatel launched a new tool.
Still in the pilot process, Anatel, together with 25 telecom operators, will begin the call authentication process with the technology known as stir shaken.
It would be a system that depends on the adherence and collaboration of companies to confirm the origin of the call and guarantee clear identification of the number that is calling, without confusing the user.
Baigorri spoke with the Metropolises Interview and explained that the platform will give more credibility and security to contacts.
“This possibility of changing the number, of making up the number that is actually making the call, Spoofing, is a type of fraud. We are implementing a call authentication solution to prevent this from happening. It’s a system called Stir Shaken, which is a technology. We are implementing it in Brazil. We are still in the testing phase, but soon the user will be sure that if 4004-0001 appears on their phone, that number is from Banco do Brasil, not from a fraud”, said Baigorri.
However, the president stressed that he needs companies’ cooperation to change cell phone operating systems.
“Today we have a challenge, because cell phones need to update their operating system. So, we are talking to Google, Apple, Android to make these updates. So that this technology is, so to speak, recognized by the operating system”, he told the reporter.
Watch an excerpt from the interview:
Baigorri also highlighted that tens of billions of calls were avoided with Do Not Disturb Me, but it is still a specific block for a group of companies. “Only telecommunications companies and other sectors, which if I’m not mistaken, the banking sector, have joined Don’t Disturb Me. But if you think about retail stores and other sectors, they are not on Do Not Disturb Me. It is a blockade for a specific set of companies, so to speak”, highlighted the president of Anatel.
The call authentication solution will help prevent further fraud, but the president of Anatel also asks for user attention:
“When we started to block fraud due to these precautions that we blocked users, they started to migrate to SMS fraud. So, if you receive an SMS saying that you have a payment at the bank, you have to click on a link. Don’t click. It is a fraudulent link.”
Read an excerpt from the interview below:
Metropolises: Mr. Could you review Don’t Disturb Me?
Baigorri: Numbers like that are abysmal. But, with measures to block numbers that are making abusive calls, we managed to prevent tens of billions of calls.
We identified which numbers were using the robot to make massive calls and started blocking them from the network. This call will not travel on the network. And that cut, let’s say, the bulk. There are still a lot of calls going on. “Do Not Disturb Me” is important, it has a limitation on who consults that base there.
Metropolises: The 0300 calls still continue to arrive on my cell phone…
Baigorri: Only telecommunications companies and other sectors, if I’m not mistaken, the banking sector, have joined Don’t Disturb Me. But if you think about retail stores, colleges and so on, they are not on Do Not Disturb Me. It is a blockade for a specific set of companies, so to speak.
We are working to change this and, soon, it is announced for the 27th, we will begin testing a call authentication solution to prevent people from dialing call numbers.
You receive a call from Banco do Brasil, for example. AI think it’s 4004-0001, something like that. And then you say: “It’s Banco do Brasil calling me”. You answer and it’s not Banco do Brasil, it’s a fraudster, the scammer who pretends to be Banco do Brasil to scam you.
It does what is called spoofing, when you disguise the number that is making the call. So, this fraudster in my example, he’s not calling from the Banco do Brasil center, he’s calling any number, but he goes there and that’s when you see the call, 4004-0001 appears and you think it’s Banco do Brasil. Brazil.
This possibility of changing the number, of making up the number that is actually making the call, is a type of fraud. And then we are implementing a call authentication solution to prevent this from happening. It’s a system called stir shaken, which is a technology. We are implementing it in Brazil. We are still in the testing phase, but soon, you will be sure that if 4004 zero zero one appears on your phone, that number is from Banco do Brasil.
Metropolises
