According to data provided to Lusa, the National Communications Authority (Anacom) received about 70 complaints directly related to usurpation of telephone numbers, more than twice the record in 2024. This type of fraud, known as “spoofing”, consists of falsifying elements such as telephone numbers, email addresses or web pages, aiming to mislead the recipient and obtain confidential information.
False calls with legitimate appearance
According to PSP, the burns are often passing banks, well-known companies or public entities. In many cases, the phone number that appears on the display is identical to that of a reliable institution, which leads the victim to trust the contact.
“Criminals mask or falsify the phone number from where they send the messages or make the calls (Spoofing), undergoing suitable entities such as the state, banks, public and private service providers,” said Luís Pisco, Judge Association jurist.
These fraudulent contacts may result in bank data theft, access to private information stored on the mobile phone and even bank transfers to burns controlled accounts.
Sophisticated throws and increasingly exposed victims
Although the PSP system does not autonomously account for the complaints about spoofing, an official source ensures that the phenomenon is closely monitored. However, it admits that many victims only report cases of fraud when there is effective loss.
Deco confirms that the number of consumers is growing to seek clarification on this type of scam, which has evolved from traditional phishing attempts to more direct voice approaches (“Vishing”) or SMS (“smoking”).
“The legislation in force does not sufficiently protect consumers in these situations and needs an urgent update,” says Luís Pisco, adding that “there are already technical solutions that allow at least the effects of these attacks.”
Operators should play more active role
ANACOM considers that electronic communications operators should be required to implement more effective prevention and detection measures. The proposal involves legislative changes that blame these companies in the fight against this type of fraud.
For Deco, the failures in the law are being used by the burns, who use increasingly sophisticated techniques of social engineering, exploring the lack of digital literacy and the good faith of consumers.
Prevention is essential: useful recommendations
Both PSP and reinforce the importance of adopting preventive behaviors. Distrust of generic calls, not click on foreign links, avoid disclosing personal data on social networks and blocking suspicious numbers are some of the recommended measures.
Even if the attempted burla is unsuccessful, it should always be communicated to the authorities. “They must turn off the call and confirm the veracity of the information said to them (or sent by message),” advises Luís Pisco.
In a context of increasingly sophisticated digital threats, the role of citizens, companies and authorities is critical to locking the spread of these practices. The legislation, experts say, has to follow this evolution.
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