Mobile and fixed-line telephone providers will have to send monthly reports to the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) regarding incoming calls, including those with signs of improper change of access code (spoofing) in telephone numbers. This technique is used by criminals to spoof the phone number of a caller.
Reports must be sent through the Anatel Data Collection system, implemented in January this year. The objective of the system that receives data from originators of unwanted calls is to allow Anatel to protect consumers more quickly from possible phone call scams.
According to Anatel, sending the data is part of a set of regulatory measures to combat unwanted calls already established by the agency, with the aim of reducing inconvenience to users of telecommunications services in Brazil and preventing telephone fraud. As a result, there was a reduction of 184.9 billion of these calls, between June 2022 and December 2024, across the country.
Reports
According to the determination, entities in the telecommunications sector must send reports every 15th of each month to the system that collects data for the Agency.
The estimate is that the information will allow Anatel to systematically monitor the origin of irregular connections, identify irregularities and monitor compliance with precautionary measures already issued, such as the suspension of users or companies that commit fraud or abuse.
Anatel establishes that mobile and fixed telephone providers must, upon receiving irregular unwanted calls, notify the providers originating the unwanted call.
Furthermore, the companies receiving the calls must inform Anatel of data such as: date, time of the calls, identification of the providers originating the unwanted calls; date on which the infractions were committed; proportions of calls with false numbers in relation to the total number of calls received and, when applicable, the types and period of suspension of services.
The measure provides that those involved in the origins of these irregular calls will be fined and even suspended. Mobile and landline companies that fail to comply with the rules are subject to fines of up to R$50 million.
When call originators are related to scams or fraud involving the use of a financial institution’s name, the information will be sent to public security authorities.
