Putin orders block on calls from 'unfriendly' nations
Vladimir Putin has ordered the development of a system to block phone calls from "unfriendly states," including Ukraine. The Russian President seeks to prevent calls from individuals he considers his adversaries. Poland has been on the Kremlin's blacklist since 2022.
Putin issued a directive, instructing the Ministry of Internal Affairs and security services to develop mechanisms for blocking phone calls originating from "Ukraine and other unfriendly states." The stated aim is to counteract phone fraud.
Poland was recognized as an "unfriendly state" in 2022.
The Russian outlet RBK reported that residents of Russia are increasingly falling victim to phone scammers. A recent example involves fraud of over 9 million rubles from a well-known ballerina and choreographer. The fraudster, posing as an officer of the Federal Security Service, convinced her to transfer money to an unknown account.
Another case involves an eighth-grade student who, at the end of January, threw a Molotov cocktail into the administration building of a Moscow residential area. According to the RK portal, he was coerced by scammers calling from Ukraine, who also instructed him to take several hundred thousand rubles and a large amount in foreign currency from the family safe.
List of "unfriendly states" for Russia
On the list of states recognized by Russia as hostile, in addition to Poland, are Australia, Albania, Andorra, the United Kingdom, European Union member states, Iceland, Canada, Liechtenstein, Micronesia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Korea, San Marino, North Macedonia, Singapore, the United States, Ukraine, Montenegro, Switzerland, and Japan.
The portal Lenta reports that phone scammers often use phrases like "enter SMS code," "secure account," "central bank," "ministry of internal affairs," and "FSB." Putin's directive is set to be implemented by July this year.
