November 29, 2022 Expansion of the Target Scope of Telecommunications Carriers' Suspension of Telephone Numbers Used for Special Fraud

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) notified Japan Unified Communications Service Provider Association of telecommunications carriers' framework to suspend the use of fixed-line phone numbers used for special fraud*.

• *
  Special fraud: The crime of making phone calls to prospective victims to make them trust the caller without meeting the caller, thus defrauding an unspecified number of people out of cash by having victims transfer money to a designated savings account or using other means. This definition applies hereinafter.

1. Current situation

In September 2019, MIC notified the Telecommunications Carriers Association of measures to be taken by telecommunications carriers in the case of a request from the police to suspend the use of fixed-line phone numbers used in special fraud cases, and in November 2021, notified the Telecommunications Carriers Association to add specific IP phone numbers (050 numbers) in addition to fixed-line phone numbers to the telecommunications carriers' framework for suspending phone numbers used for special fraud.

＜Overview＞
(1) Stopping the use of fixed-line phone numbers
a. After prefectural police become aware of a fixed-line phone number used for special fraud, they will request the telecommunications carrier to suspend the use of said fixed-line phone number.
b. The relevant telecommunications carrier suspends the use of the fixed-line phone number requested by prefectural police. The telecommunications carrier provides the National Police Agency with information on the subscriber (including the wholesale telecommunications carrier) of the fixed-line phone number, the use of which has been suspended.

(2) Refusal to provide new fixed-line numbers
a. The National Police Agency requests telecommunications carriers to show information on subscribers who exceed certain criteria and are subject to suspension requests, and also request to refuse to provide new fixed-line phone numbers to these subscribers.
b. When a telecommunications carrier receives an offer to purchase an additional fixed-line phone number from a person for whom police have requested refusal, the carrier will refuse to provide a new fixed-line phone number to that person for a certain period.

2. Expansion of the target scope

In light of the recent damage caused by special fraud, MIC has notified Japan Unified Communications Service Provider Association, which is an association joined by many telecommunications carriers providing unified communication services including cloud-based phone systems, on measures to be taken by telecommunications carriers in the case of a request from the police to suspend the use of fixed-line phone numbers used in special fraud cases, to expand the target scope in addition to the Telecommunications Carriers Association.
Based on such request, measures will be taken by telecommunications carriers in the case of a request from the police to suspend the use of fixed-line phone numbers used in special fraud cases also among Japan Unified Communications Service Provider Association from December 1, 2022.