Last year, nearly 11,000 scam calls and fraudulent messages were reported to the emergency response centre. This is despite the fact that in most cases it is the wrong channel to turn to in such a situation. Elisa’s Head of Information Security, Mai Kraft, noted that this behaviour is understandable on a human level, and the emergency response centre does not mind it, but from a technological perspective it is inefficient — information about a scam call does not move from the emergency response centre to telecom operators, who are the ones that could actually take action.
In a situation where fraudsters swindled a record 29 million euros from people in Estonia last year, it is critically important to understand that security is not only a technical solution, but also a correct division of roles between the state, the company, and the citizen. If a person has already suffered financial loss, the only right place to turn is the police, but in the case of simply receiving a suspicious call, they should first and foremost notify their telecom operator, who can analyse call logs and, if necessary, block numbers or channels.
The fragile balance between filters and freedom
The public often demands that telecom operators should simply catch all scam calls. If that could be done with the push of a button, the solution would have existed long ago. Unfortunately, 100 percent blocking is a technical and ethical utopia. Fraudsters have become extremely skilled, using not only local phone numbers but also foreign ones, and in those cases it is impossible to know in advance whether the call is from a criminal or an expected call from a business partner or acquaintance.
Estonia’s larger telecom operators have created joint filters that prevent Estonian numbers from being spoofed abroad and used for scam calls. But this approach can only help up to a point. If calls are made from foreign numbers or from local numbers belonging to operator networks that have not joined the common system, pre-filtering is impossible. At the same time, criminals are constantly looking for new and more cunning ways to get past protective barriers.
If operators started proactively blocking everything that seemed unusual, it would mean interfering with privacy and creating a risk that important calls would also fail to get through. It is obvious that free communication cannot be sacrificed in the name of security, which is why, alongside all technical measures, it is becoming increasingly important to focus on helping people act safely in the digital environment through timely notifications and smart analytical tools. In fraud prevention, it is important to understand that technology can build walls, but the human being is the one who decides whom to let through the gate.
For example, an operator’s analysts can, based on notifications, monitor call logs in order to detect anomalies and block SIM cards used for scam calls, but the final responsibility for protecting one’s data and money always remains with the user. This means using sound judgment in situations where someone asks you to enter PIN codes or transfer money to unknown accounts, even if the caller sounds authoritative. Because although suspicious calls are blocked, the basis for blocking numbers that slip through automatic filters is customer reporting. And that can take time, which means that despite the best intentions, a scam call may still reach its victim.
A critical mind is the best protection
The digital world will never become completely safe. Just as in the physical world, where we do not leave the door unlocked simply because the police exist, it is necessary to maintain a reasonable sense of caution in the virtual world as well. Becoming resilient to scams is an inevitable part of modern life, and people in Estonia are actually already quite aware of this, often being able to end suspicious calls quickly.
It is important that fear does not paralyse sensible action and that help is sought through the right channels, preserving the resources of the emergency response centre for those whose health or property is truly at risk. A safe digital environment is a collaborative project in which the operator provides a clean channel and filters, the state provides the legal framework, and the user provides attentiveness. Only this kind of shared responsibility ensures that we do not have to choose between complete isolation and becoming a victim of crime, but can instead enjoy the benefits of technology with minimal risk.