Measures by the Federal Network Agency are successful
The Federal Network Agency has again taken action against ping calls and has banned billing and collection for connections to several Belarusian phone numbers.
“We continue to take consistent action against ping calls. Protecting consumers from telephone harassment is our priority,”
explains Jochen Homann, President of the Federal Network Agency.
“The significant decrease in complaints about ping calls shows that our measures are successful. The price announcement obligation in particular has had an impact.”
Callback costs several euros per minute
Ping calls are lure calls that aim to provoke a chargeable callback.
When mobile phone customers call the number back, they often receive recorded messages that cost several euros per minute. The announcements range from incomprehensible announcements in a foreign language to competitions, erotic announcements or alleged package deliveries.
The scammers' goal is to keep callers on the line for as long as possible. Those responsible benefit from the connection fees generated. Almost 300 consumers complained to the Federal Network Agency about the calls.
Prohibition of accounting and collection
Regarding the Belarusian phone numbers, the Federal Network Agency has decreed that mobile network operators are no longer allowed to charge consumers for the costs incurred by dialing these numbers.
If consumers have already received bills, the network operators are no longer allowed to collect these claims. If consumers have already paid bills, they should try to claim the money back with the support of consumer advice centers.
By banning the billing of these connections, the perpetrators' illegal business model becomes economically unattractive.
Belarusian numbers are similar to local area codes in Saxony
The Belarusian numbers are similar to area codes in Saxony. The mobile phone customers assume that they have received a call from a German local number and call back.
The area code for Belarus is similar to the German area code 0375. The cities of Lichtentanne, Sachs, Oelsnitz/Erzgebirge, Steinpleis, Stenn, Wilkau-Haßlau and Zwickau can be reached using the area code 0375.
Complaint development and measures
While the Federal Network Agency received 61,000 complaints between October and December 2017, the number of complaints has decreased significantly in the meantime. Almost 8,000 complaints were received from January to the end of April 2018.
The Federal Network Agency had ordered that free price announcements for certain international area codes must be provided in mobile networks. The caller learns at the beginning of the call that he will be dialing a high-priced foreign number.
Regardless of this, the Federal Network Agency advises consumers not to call back foreign phone numbers if no call is expected from the relevant countries.
Report incidents to the Federal Network Agency
You can find an overview of telephone numbers that have been ordered to be switched off by the Federal Network Agency at www.bundesnetzagentur.de/massnahmeliste.
Consumers who are also affected by ping calls can contact the Federal Network Agency www.bundesnetzagentur.de/rufnummernabuse
If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:
📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.
Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!
* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

