The regulator for electronic communications revealed that by 2025, it had received approximately 70 complaints about “spoofing,” more than double the number recorded during 2024, which was around 30. Approximately 75% of the “spoofing” related issues were logged in the second quarter.
This fraudulent activity, known as “spoofing,” involves using phone numbers belonging to real people who are not connected to the fraud. Perpetrators use these numbers to impersonate trusted companies such as banks, payment platforms, or telecom operators to deceive the person answering the call.
In October 2024, the communications regulator proposed an amendment to the Electronic Communications Law to enhance efforts against this issue. The proposal aims to include a provision addressing abusive practices related to the spoofing of numbers or alphanumeric identifiers within caller ID or message sender details.
Anacom, the regulatory body, assures that if this amendment is approved, it will ensure the implementation and compliance with obligations that arise for businesses providing electronic communications services.
The regulator emphasizes that “spoofing” is instrumental in committing other crimes, such as fraud or computer-related falsehoods. Whenever user contacts indicate criminal activity, these cases are forwarded to relevant authorities.
In addressing this, Anacom has been collaborating with the National Cybersecurity Center, Judicial Police, communication operators, Bank of Portugal, and banking sector representatives—one of the most targeted in such schemes—to develop technical solutions to mitigate the issue.
Concurrently, mitigation measures like blocking international calls with manipulated identifiers or implementing call authentication systems, similar to those in other countries, are under evaluation. These initiatives derive from national legislative frameworks and are not common obligations within the European Union, Anacom explains.
Telecom operators, represented by Apritel, state they are closely monitoring the increase in criminal activities involving message identifier manipulation (spoofing).
The association points out that this phenomenon originates from calls made from abroad with manipulated “caller ID” and, therefore, is not an activity for which operators can be held accountable.
However, Apritel assures that operators are constantly working to maintain the integrity and security of their networks and customer communications.
Fighting “spoofing” and all forms of fraud is a priority for the operators, and they are committed to reducing the number of cases and their effects, Apritel assures.
To this end, Anacom has set up a working group to strengthen collaboration between these entities and find optimal solutions.
Within the working group, Apritel advocates for systematically identifying “spoofing” calls, such as those originating abroad but with a national “caller ID,” and anonymizing or even blocking these calls where number appropriation is identified.
For this, it is necessary to consider the current legal framework and existing technical constraints and find a consensus within the working group to implement these mitigation measures as quickly as possible.
