Bli plusmedlem

Reversed roles

Telia makes fraudsters pay - “it's payback time”

Telia launches a new security feature that protects its customers and makes the fraudsters bear the cost.

Ove Kaufeldt
Published

Telia introduces Telia Payback, a new protection against fraud that not only blocks fraudulent calls that risk deceiving customers but also ensures that the criminals are financially impacted.

The fraud involves so-called Wangiri calls, where criminals call from abroad to get the recipient to call back, thereby incurring unreasonably high charges. Since 2019, technical solutions have stopped millions of these calls, but now Telia Payback reverses the logic: instead of the costs affecting the individual consumer, a reverse mechanism occurs where the criminals are charged for their attempts. Through an automated voice response, the fraudsters are exposed and informed that they have been caught, which aims to stop their attempts to exploit Swedish mobile customers with the Wangiri method.

"Payback time"

Amanda Landqvist, responsible for Telia's fraud prevention, says in a press release that "Last year we stopped 37 million Wangiri calls, but fighting criminals is like hitting a moving target. It requires agility, knowledge-enhancing efforts, and constant development of our technology. Our enhanced security protection now stops even more fraud attempts, and instead costs the criminals. So, it becomes both costly and troublesome to try to deceive the Swedish people - it's simply payback time."

Both incoming and outgoing calls

The new technology applies to both incoming and outgoing calls. When a fraudster calls a Swedish number, an automated response is activated that greets them with a personal message - a clear message that a fraud attempt is underway. If the suspicious call still reaches a customer, Telia immediately warns with a signal informing that it is best to hang up, without any call charges being incurred.

As part of the launch, Telia encourages Swedish mobile customers to actively participate in the protection. By recording their voice, they can contribute to the automated response that fraudsters will hear, which not only strengthens the system technically but also helps to highlight those affected.

Money to crime victims

Related articles

Furthermore, Telia demonstrates its social responsibility by ensuring that the money taken from the criminals will be handed over to the Crime Victim Support, providing support to those affected by fraud.

Despite the technology doing much to stop fraud, Telia emphasizes the importance of increased vigilance among consumers:

  • Do not call back: Do not answer unknown international numbers.
  • Be careful with your information: Never share passwords, bank details, or verification codes over the phone unless you are completely sure of the call's authenticity.
  • Block suspicious numbers: If you have identified a potential source of fraud, block the number immediately.
  • Hang up if you are unsure: No call charges are incurred if you choose to end the call immediately after the warning.

The new solution is part of the service for all Telia's mobile customers and requires no additional downloads or apps, making it both easy and convenient to take advantage of the enhanced protection.

android security wangiri calls news ios how-tos fraud telia victim support

Latest reviews

Top How-tos

100 latest articles