Yandex Details AI's Role in Thwarting Phone Scams for Russian Users

In a recent briefing, Alexander Lunev, head of the information security training group at Yandex, outlined how the company is deploying artificial intelligence to intercept fraudulent phone calls before they reach a user. The systems analyze calling patterns to flag suspicious numbers, displaying a warning on the recipient's screen.

Lunev explained that scammers increasingly rely on volume, using illegal SIM-box devices to target hundreds of subscribers within minutes. Manual analysis of such campaigns is impractical, but machine learning models can assess a call for blocking or labeling in under a minute. These neural networks evaluate over 300 behavioral factors, including call frequency, duration, patterns of mass simultaneous calls from a single number, and which party ends the conversation. Any detected anomaly triggers an automatic alert.

Yandex emphasizes that user data remains protected, with algorithms processing only anonymized information. While AI handles the bulk of filtering these mass threats, Lunev stressed that technical measures are just one layer of defense. He reiterated standard safety advice: no legitimate bank, police officer, or telecom employee will ever ask for a money transfer to a 'secure account,' an SMS code, or to install an app via a link.

The takeaway, according to Lunev, is that while AI shoulders the routine work of sifting through thousands of potential scams, the final decision rests with the individual. Effective protection, he concluded, combines these advanced tools with personal vigilance.

Source: RIA Novosti