The National Communications Commission (NCC) has joined with mobile telecom operators to pilot a voice alert system for incoming calls from hidden numbers as a way to combat fraud.
Chunghwa Telecom has been trialing the system for mobile users since March 2.
It is expected to be fully rolled out by May across Taiwan’s three major mobile carriers — Chunghwa, Taiwan Mobile and Far EasTone, NCC Acting Commissioner Chen Chung-shu (陳崇樹) said today at the Legislative Yuan.
Photo: Fang Wei-chieh, Taipei Times
The National Police Agency found that mobile users are at higher risk of fraud, so the NCC is to roll out the system for landlines later in June, he said.
The new system would play an alert warning that the incoming call is from a hidden number in both Chinese and Taiwanese.
Users can press any key to skip the warning.
Data show that fraud cases have trended downward since the trial began, as telecom operators proactively terminated 40,000 calls, Chen said.
The measure has proven particularly effective among high-risk groups such as the elderly and has also helped younger users, who often answer calls quickly without first checking the number, he added.
Lawmakers today also expressed concerns about a recent case in which a man allegedly broke into an older residential building and stole more than 1,000 landline phone numbers, which were provided to Chinese scam groups to register Line accounts, generating profits exceeding NT$1 million (US$31,282).
Chen said that newer residential buildings typically have better controls in place, with telecom equipment locked away.
However, the NCC would convene meetings with telecom operators to review and improve safeguards, while discussing with Line ways to strengthen landline user verification mechanisms, he added.
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