In Russia, the Lifespan of Fraudsters’ SIM Cards Has Been Drastically Reduced
Russia’s mobile operators have sharply reduced the lifespan of SIM cards used by fraudsters, deploying advanced AI‑driven protection that blocks malicious activity within seconds.
Russian telecom providers are making rapid progress in combating phone fraud by introducing next‑generation cybersecurity technologies. According to industry experts, SIM cards used by criminals now remain active for only a few hours before being shut down. The update was shared by Andrey Biychuk, Product Director of “MTS Defender,” at the Digital Solutions Forum.
Analyzing Calls Across 200 Parameters
Biychuk explained that the operator’s internal system can detect and neutralize fraudulent activity within an average of 30 seconds. This level of speed became possible after a major upgrade of the company’s AI algorithms. The service analyzes calls in real time, checking them against more than 200 behavioral and technical indicators.
This approach has proven highly effective at protecting users. The results speak for themselves: between January and October 2025, the system blocked 2.8 billion suspicious calls — an increase of 6 percent compared with the same period the year before.
Earlier reports noted that Russia is also deploying digital technologies to tighten control over SIM‑card sales.
