Agcom multa Retelit Digital Services e Tekmind per 822.500 euro per spoofing di numeri italiani

The Italian audio authority, Agcom, has imposed fines totaling 822,500 euros on two companies, Retelit Digital Services and Tekmind, for failing to implement measures to control the use of Italian phone numbers in their operations. This decision follows a month-long investigation into numerous complaints made in November 2025, focusing on the obligations of entities assigned phone numbers to verify the accuracy of these numbers, including those generated through a technique called "spoofing."

Spoofing refers to the manipulation of the caller's number displayed on the recipient's phone, making it appear as if the call is coming from a different location or using an Italian number when the call originates from abroad. In response, Agcom has implemented filters on international calls showing Italian numbers, resulting in a significant reduction in international calls.

In the first eight months of 2026 alone, around 191 million calls were blocked, accounting for nearly 7.2% of the total international traffic. Almost 790,000 calls were stopped each day, with 148 million of them being mobile calls, representing about 49% of the international traffic.

The most visible change is the 95% decrease in international calls from mobile Italian numbers, dropping from 26.8 million to just 1.2 million daily. Overall, international traffic has also decreased from 34 million daily calls to just 11 million. This change has forced fraudsters to shift their tactics, using foreign numbers instead of Italian ones.

While the filters have reduced the number of fraudulent calls originating from abroad, they have also made it easier to identify irregularities within Italy. Despite the continued presence of unwanted calls, the sanctions have shifted the focus to a crucial point in combating these commercial irregularities.