The National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) recommended the providers of mobile phone services to take measures to protect the users from attempts to cheat them through the mobile phone, IPN reports.

The Agency made such a recommendation after it established that the number of complaints filed by users increased significantly in April and May. The users complained that after they responded the request to call unknown international numbers received by SMS from unknown persons, they lost money or minutes.

According to the complainers, swindlers send SMS texts from unknown numbers, which seem to have been sent by close people. This type of fraud, by SMS and beep, is spread in a number of countries. In Moldova, when the users receive such messages or calls, they think that they came from friends of relatives from abroad, given that many Moldovans live or work in other countries. Thus, the answering rate in such cases stands at about 40%.

In order to reduce this rate, the ICT regulator recommends carrying out an information campaign by SMS texts. Warning messages can be also posted on the first page of providers’ websites or free telephone lines can be set up for providing consultancy. Information about suspect international numbers should be swiftly exchanged so as to promptly block them.

The ANRCETI informs that the mobile phone users can call its green line 080080080, which is free from any settlement of the country and is available on workdays between 8am and 5pm.