Elisa develops Finnish solution blocking scam calls recognized by Europol

Finland has introduced a technical approach to restrict scam calls that involves blocking caller ID spoofing. This development has received attention from Europol and has been nominated for the European Crime Prevention Award, marking it as a noteworthy method for reducing fraud losses linked to telecommunications.

The country’s measures to counter scam calls respond to the yearly global financial impact, estimated at around €850 million, caused by such fraudulent activities. The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency implemented a solution nationwide that has led to a drastic decrease in scam call volumes, highlighting a focused regulatory response to this issue.

Elisa, a Finnish telecommunications operator, created a patented method to detect and block false caller Intrusion Detection System (IDS), preventing criminals from using Finnish phone numbers for scam activities. This approach has blocked nearly 26 million scam calls since 2021. Additional features include blocking calls from unknown foreign numbers and filtering scam text messages associated with registered sender IDS.

The collaborative work involved Elisa developing the initial technical solution in 2021, followed by its adoption nationwide in 2023 under Traficom’s directive. Subsequent advancements in 2024 and 2025 expanded protections to include scam texts and the capability to block all incoming calls from outside Finland using Elisa’s patented technology.

Karri Jäkkö, Director of Elisa9s Cybersecurity and Service Management Center, said, “Our employees developed the solution themselves, and we deployed it in our network back in 2021. This solution has allowed us to eliminate the majority of scam calls received by our customers. Criminals' profits in Finland have dropped from 87 million a year to just a few thousand, meaning Elisa's actions have already made Finland an unprofitable target for criminals. In 2023, other operators also adopted the solution following Traficom's decision.”He added, “Finland has succeeded in creating a model that effectively protects consumers and prevents criminals from making scam calls from disguised numbers. It's great to see that this is also attracting international interest. Preventing scams is an arms race between us and the criminals, so we are constantly developing new solutions as well.”

Looking ahead, the Finnish model continues to receive recognition in Europe as officials call for unified standards and closer collaboration to address scam calls. Elisa and Traficom's ongoing efforts indicate a continued focus on refining technical defenses against communication fraud.