Russia Rolls Out Mandatory Caller ID for Business Calls

Starting this fall, new telecom rules aim to curb phone scams and cut down on spam calls.

Beginning September 1, Russia will enforce new regulations designed to fight cyber fraud and reduce the flood of intrusive phone calls. One of the key changes: all business calls must now be clearly labeled. When a company, telecom operator, or individual entrepreneur places a call, the recipient’s screen will display the caller’s name and type of business activity. The label can be up to 32 characters long and appear in either Cyrillic or Latin script. Any call that lacks this ID—especially those claiming to be from banks or service providers—can be considered fraudulent.

Another major update gives subscribers the option to block mass autodial campaigns. The feature will be mandatory for all telecom operators and accessible through each customer’s online account.

The shift builds on measures introduced June 1, when Russia tightened its anti-fraud legislation with roughly 30 new restrictions. Among them: government agencies, banks, and telecom staff are banned from using foreign messaging apps to interact with clients; messages from the state services portal can’t be delivered during phone conversations; and penalties for scammers have been strengthened.