Italy’s communications authority Agcom has activated a new filter designed to block telemarketing calls that appear to come from Italian mobile numbers but are actually placed from abroad using spoofed caller IDs. Commissioner Massimiliano Capitanio reminded that earlier measures had already stopped around 40 million fake-number calls per month during September and October, after the first anti-spoofing system blocked falsified landline numbers in August.

The goal is to restore trust in calls that display the Italian prefix (+39) and to curb aggressive telemarketing practices and scams, an illegal market estimated at around €3 billion a year. The new system, implemented by telecom operators on the basis of Agcom rulings, verifies incoming call numbers in real time by checking them against the national number portability database. If a number appears fake or does not match a legitimate roaming user, the call is automatically blocked before it reaches the recipient.

The system works silently in the background: consumers do not need to install apps or change device settings. By stopping spoofing, callers become easier to identify and sanction. These new protections strengthen - without replacing - existing tools such as the Do-Not-Call Registry and the Telemarketing Code of Conduct.