Phone scammers increasingly turn to number spoofing; experts urge caution
The number of blocked fraudulent calls in Latvia has fallen, but experts warn the threat has not receded — scammers have shifted to number spoofing. Banks and state institutions never ask for personal details by phone, so people should stay alert.
Telecom industry data shows that more than 2.4 million fraudulent calls were blocked in Latvia last year, while over 171,000 were blocked in the first half of this year. The smaller figure does not mean scammers have become less active.
Experts say phone fraud tends to come in waves, with fraudsters adapting quickly. Early in the year, flaws in mobile number portability systems were widely exploited, while in recent months number spoofing has become increasingly common. A person sees a seemingly ordinary Latvian number on their screen, as if a bank or government office were calling, but the call is actually made from another country.
To fight fraud effectively, technical solutions are not enough — operators also need appropriate legal powers. Lithuania is cited as a good example: operators there can block foreign calls that illegally use Lithuanian numbers, stop calls from numbers not authorised to use Lithuanian numbering, and in certain cases block suspicious roaming calls. Lithuania also checks text messages automatically. Operators detect links to potentially harmful websites, warn users, and forward the information to the National Cyber Security Centre for assessment.
Specialists remind the public that banks, mobile operators, the State Police and other institutions never ask for internet banking credentials, card information, PIN codes or Smart-ID access codes by phone. If such a call is received, the conversation should be ended immediately. People should also avoid approving payments or Smart-ID requests at a stranger's instruction and should not install remote access applications such as AnyDesk or TeamViewer. If there is any doubt about the caller's identity, it is best to end the call and contact the relevant organisation through official channels.
