Finns lost millions to scam calls

How on earth did foreign scam calls almost disappear in Finland in just two years? In 2021, Finland woke up to the fact that scam calls from abroad had exploded. These scams relied heavily on caller ID spoofing – displaying the number as Finnish. When the caller’s number appeared domestic, people were often comfortable answering.

Between 2020 and 2021, scammers using this trick managed to steal over €7 million from Finnish bank accounts. In 2022, the criminal gain was only about €2,700. The dramatic change was driven by an innovation developed at Elisa and was quickly implemented nationwide under the guidance of Traficom.

No challenge is unsolvable

Back in 2021, thousands of calls came daily from abroad, with broken English speakers claiming they wanted to “help” the recipient. The caller would pose as tech support, saying suspicious activity was detected on the recipient’s computer. Many trusted the caller because the number was Finnish. Under the guise of an invented emergency, criminals tricked people into installing spyware or giving away banking credentials.

“The problem kept getting worse, and most thought there was no easy fix – nothing could be done. That annoyed us a bit, so we took on the challenge. As one of our experts said: there’s always something you can do,” says Karri Jäkkö, Head of Elisa’s Cybersecurity and Service Management Center, who was part of the solution development.

Elisa formed an expert team to tackle scam call issues. They came up with a way to identify and block calls using spoofed numbers. The new solution was tested in cooperation with Traficom.

From innovation to the Finnish model

The change was dramatic: at its peak, up to 87% of incoming international calls used spoofed Finnish numbers. When Elisa stopped forwarding these calls thanks to the innovative solution, the share dropped to about 3%. Criminal profits practically disappeared. Elisa shared the solution openly with other operators.

“We wanted to be transparent from the start so others could follow suit. One strength of the solution is its immediate impact – results are visible right away, not a year later,” says Jäkkö.

Thanks to Traficom’s swift action, the solution became a national mandate requiring all operators to implement it by October 2023. Elisa’s scam-blocking innovation is a success story that has since attracted global attention and won numerous awards. Elisa holds a patent for the solution.

Jäkkö and his colleagues presented the compelling data to Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation. “It gave us chills when they said: you’ve practically eliminated an entire crime method in Finland,” Jäkkö recalls.

Heading for international markets

The scam-blocking service has sparked a strong international interest. It’s been showcased at Europol events, the RSA Conference in the USA, and numerous European telecom meetups.

“When we present our solution, people often ask if we offer it as a service. We decided to make it available internationally,” says Antti Karjalainen, Elisa’s Head of Carrier Business.

This Finnish success story has become an export product with a potential for a huge societal and financial impact worldwide.

“Globally, phone scams with caller ID spoofing remains a massive problem, incurring an estimated €850 million in losses annually, according to Europol,” Jäkkö notes.

Tieto Tech Consulting (formerly Tietoevry Create) has partnered with Elisa to develop the SaaS product for international markets.

“We have deep expertise and a long history in telecom solutions. The scam-blocking service is based on modern cloud technology, and it’s scalable, and easy to deploy,” says Olli Mäkelä, Head of Private Sector at Tieto Tech Consulting.

“Tieto Tech Consulting is a global player, and we’re proud to help create a safer digital future. This project lets us fight crime and develop responsible technology – we’re excited to support Elisa’s international success,” Mäkelä adds.

The public sector plays a key role

Digitalization can only thrive if citizens trust online platforms and solutions.

“Combating cybercrime and digital side effects is critical for both consumers and businesses. Trust in digital service security is essential for our industry. Achieving this requires collaboration between companies and public sector regulation,” Mäkelä reflects.

“With this solution, we restored trust in domestic phone numbers, and the public sector’s active role was crucial. The smooth cooperation between Finnish companies and authorities has impressed the world,” Jäkkö notes.

An innovation from one company became a national mandate, and scam calls with caller ID spoofing was virtually eliminated in Finland. Now, many other countries hope for the same solution. Antti Karjalainen and Olli Mäkelä are excited that the service is now available internationally.

In November 2025, Elisa’s scam-blocking service also received a European patent in addition to its national patent.

“This solution has the potential for a global breakthrough,” predicts Antti Karjalainen.

Reed more about Elisa: About Elisa - Elisa