Russia to Let Citizens Block Calls From Abroad From March 2027

Simple for everyone

The lawmaker said that switching the restriction on and off must be as simple as possible, so that people with different levels of digital literacy can use it. He pointed to older citizens and other groups that scammers target more often as the main beneficiaries.

Fraudsters frequently pose as bank staff, law enforcement officers or government employees, he noted, and use psychological pressure to push victims into hasty decisions. Cutting off international calls could remove part of those contacts.

Not a complete shield

Nemkin made clear that the self-ban does not replace caution and cannot guarantee full protection, since criminals can also use Russian numbers and other communication channels.

He added that the state and telecom operators must make the mechanism genuinely effective. It is not enough to offer the function, he said: users need a clear explanation of how it works, which calls are blocked and in which cases the restriction might affect legitimate calls, so they understand the consequences of their choice in advance.

In Nemkin's view, the self-ban is a useful additional instrument, but fighting phone fraud requires a comprehensive approach: better regulation, more effective work by operators and higher digital literacy among the public.