{"id":149922,"date":"2025-06-11T06:30:55","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T06:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/fraudulent-calls-are-such-a-problem-in-spain-that-even-national-banks-are-taking-action-ing-has-been-the-first-to-respond\/"},"modified":"2025-06-11T06:30:56","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T06:30:56","slug":"fraudulent-calls-are-such-a-problem-in-spain-that-even-national-banks-are-taking-action-ing-has-been-the-first-to-respond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/fraudulent-calls-are-such-a-problem-in-spain-that-even-national-banks-are-taking-action-ing-has-been-the-first-to-respond\/","title":{"rendered":"Fraudulent calls are such a problem in Spain that even national banks are taking action. ING has been the first to respond."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Spain’s Battle Against Fraudulent Calls: An Ongoing Challenge<\/h2>\n

Spain is grappling with a \u00a0significant problem\u00a0 concerning \u00a0fraudulent calls\u00a0. From scammers masquerading as legitimate companies like \u00a0Indeed\u00a0, offering fake job opportunities, to persistent calls aimed at commercial exploitation, the issue has escalated to a point where the \u00a0government\u00a0 has had to step in. Recently, regulations have been enacted requiring these calls to come from specific prefixes, \u00a0900\u00a0 and \u00a0800\u00a0, while traditional numbers like \u00a0600\u00a0 and \u00a0700\u00a0 have been banned to combat this growing menace.<\/p>\n

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Whether this measure will prove \u00a0adequate\u00a0 remains to be seen. As of now, it appears that even \u00a0Spanish banks\u00a0 have begun to take action against fraudulent attempts. According to reports, Spanish banks have initiated measures<\/a> aimed at curbing this problem.<\/p>\n

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Who Is Calling? A New Tool from ING Direct<\/h2>\n

\u201cWho is calling me?<\/strong>\u201d is the name of the tool recently launched by \u00a0ING Direct\u00a0 in Spain. This application is designed specifically for its \u00a0customers\u00a0. Users need to access the app and input the phone number in the \u00a0Help\u00a0 section under \u00a0Who is calling me\u00a0 to check its legitimacy.<\/p>\n

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ING will verify whether the number is associated with one of its agents and will promptly inform you if it should be reported as a \u00a0fraud attempt\u00a0 or if it can be saved as an official contact. It\u2019s crucial to note that this safety measure only applies to numbers registered with ING; other scam attempts will not be detectable through this service.<\/p>\n

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This isn\u2019t \u00a0the first attempt\u00a0 to tackle the issue. For example, Monzo<\/a>, a digital bank based in the UK, has implemented a different but useful safety measure. While on a call, if a user accesses the bank\u2019s app, it displays a notification stating that they are not the ones making the call.<\/p>\n

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This feature effectively prevents users from making transactions if someone is impersonating an agent. Unfortunately, no \u00a0Spanish bank\u00a0 has introduced a similar functionality as yet.<\/p>\n

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Why Government Measures May Not Be Enough<\/h2>\n

Although the regulations put forth by the \u00a0Ministry for Digital Transformation\u00a0 and \u00a0Public Function\u00a0 are a significant first step, they do not serve as a universal solution. Scammers can still operate by using conventional numbers, performing SIM swapping, or utilizing disposable SIM cards, evading the restrictions on call identity.<\/p>\n

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According to government statistics, since taking the initiative to combat fraudulent calls, \u00a014 million fraudulent calls\u00a0 have been blocked in Spain. Telecommunication operators are now mandated to block numbers that do not correspond with any registered user or service.<\/p>\n

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What Is Being Done?<\/h2>\n

Tech giants like Google have been proactively working on \u00a0anti-SPAM\u00a0 and \u00a0anti-fraud\u00a0 features within their Phone app for years. The app automatically blocks calls<\/a> that, through AI analysis, appear to be scams. The app also flags messages from suspicious senders.<\/p>\n

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On the \u00a0iOS\u00a0 side, the recent \u00a0WWDC 25\u00a0 marked the introduction of new features aimed at competing with Android’s more basic functions. From this version onward, users can choose to filter calls from unknown numbers, forcing the caller to explain their identity and purpose. While this is a heavy-handed approach, it serves as a more aggressive filter against unwanted calls.<\/p>\n

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Other Avenues of Attack<\/h2>\n

Fraudulent calls are not the only method employed by scammers. \u00a0SMS\u00a0 messages represent another significant entry point for deception. While Google\u2019s app blocks some of these, they remain a prevalent form of fraud.<\/p>\n

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There are no magical solutions available. Although \u00a0SPAM\u00a0 \u0438 \u00a0SCAM\u00a0 tactics are facing increased scrutiny and challenges, back doors remain inevitable. As always recommended, it\u2019s essential to double-check the sender’s details, the URL directed to by any message, and never provide personal information over the phone.<\/p>\n

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Image credit | ING<\/p>\n

In conclusion, Spain is making strides in the fight against fraudulent calls and scams through government measures, banking innovations, and technological advancements. However, while significant progress is visible, ongoing vigilance is crucial to ensure consumer safety in this ever-evolving landscape of digital threats.<\/p>\n


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General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spain’s Battle Against Fraudulent Calls: An Ongoing Challenge Spain is grappling with a \u00a0significant problem\u00a0 concerning \u00a0fraudulent calls\u00a0. From scammers masquerading as legitimate companies like \u00a0Indeed\u00a0, offering fake job opportunities, to persistent calls aimed at commercial exploitation, the issue has escalated to a point where the \u00a0government\u00a0 has had to step in. Recently, regulations have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":149923,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[199,5233,3252,18131,36769,252,1142,3267,1694],"class_list":["post-149922","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-action","tag-banks","tag-calls","tag-fraudulent","tag-ing","tag-national","tag-problem","tag-respond","tag-spain"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149922","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149922"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149922\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149922"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=149922"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=149922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}