Uzbek Security Warns of Surge in Scam Calls

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan’s State Security Service has issued a warning over a growing number of suspicious phone calls from foreign numbers linked to cybercriminal activity.

According to specialists, fraudsters are using advanced technical schemes based on internet technologies and specialized software tools.

These systems enable number spoofing before a call even reaches a mobile operator’s network, creating the appearance of incoming calls from different countries.

As a result, identifying the true origin of such calls is extremely difficult within existing telecommunications systems, as these numbers are not registered SIM cards but temporary digital identifiers.

Experts note that interaction with such callers carries significant risks. In particular, returning a missed call may result in the immediate deduction of substantial funds from a mobile balance.

Fraudsters often impersonate representatives of various institutions and attempt to obtain sensitive personal information, including bank card verification codes.

Even answering such calls can register user activity, potentially placing individuals into databases used for further targeted attacks.

Authorities also warned about an additional risk involving voice recording. Such recordings may later be used with artificial intelligence technologies to generate fake voice messages designed to deceive relatives or acquaintances.

The State Security Service urged citizens to follow digital safety practices, advising them not to answer calls from unknown foreign numbers and not to return such calls.

Such contacts should be immediately blocked.

Officials also stressed that personal data and SMS verification codes must never be shared with third parties under any circumstances.