World
Lawmakers seek to limit spoofing scams
A bid to cut a rising source of payments fraud could leave telco operators on the hook.
Imagine the scene – you receive a call from the taxman, asking why you haven’t paid your bill.
Flustered – and seeing it’s from a legitimate number – you agree to settle right away to avoid any extra fine.
Only this call wasn’t from the government, but arose from a sophisticated and increasingly common fraud known as spoofing – that EU lawmakers are now on a mission to stop.
In legal plans put forward in June last year, the European Commission said that banks should reimburse customers for any losses suffered as a result of scammers impersonating bank staff.
In a report due to be voted on 14 February, lawmakers on the European Parliament Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee want to extend that.
The new rules would also put telecoms operators and online platforms within scope, in line with the EU’s existing Digital Services Act, lawmaker Ondřej Kovařík (Czechia/Renew Europe) told Euronews.
“We’ve taken important steps forward in the Parliament to address impersonation fraud,” Kovařík said in a statement, adding: “In this respect we can cover more than simply someone pretending to be from your bank.”
The new plans would cover fake emails or phone calls that purport to come, not just from payment providers, but “any other relevant entity of public or private nature”, according to an amendment circulated internally among lawmakers.
Communications providers who don’t remove fraudulent or illegal content would also have to offer refunds to victims, according to the text, seen by Euronews and dated 26 January.
Those plans still need to be formally agreed by lawmakers and would also need support from governments meeting in the EU Council – but proponents are hopeful.
“We could have a game-changer in this fight,” Anna Martin, financial services officer at Brussels-based consumer advocacy group BEUC, told Euronews in an interview, adding: “I’m convinced banks will take action – if they have financial consequences.”
Serious problem
It’s a serious problem. Existing EU payment laws which took effect in 2019 require online sales to be verified by fingerprint scans or one-time passcodes.
That made fraud harder – but also made scammers more creative, and the amounts involved can be high, if not lifechanging.
In Belgium alone, according to banking lobby group Febelfin, phishing scams rose 60% in a year to reach nearly €40m in 2022. The average loss from a fraudulent credit transfer is €4,191 – far higher than what’s typically at stake for credit card or ATM scams – says data from the European Banking Authority.
The hope is that new rules can encourage telecom operators and banks to work together to stop calls falsely appearing to come from legitimate banks, energy companies or tax authorities – yet not everyone is convinced.
In an October submission to the European Commission, the GSM Association, a lobby group for mobile operators such as Orange and Telefonica, said a further liability could amount to €8bn a year with a “severely disruptive” effect on European connectivity.
Operators are worried there could be a conflict with existing online privacy laws, if they’re expected to moderate phone calls as if these were social media content.
But those within the financial sector are keen to see responsibility for tackling fraud thrown a bit wider.
ADVERTISEMENT“It makes sense to put a bit of pressure on the telco operators,” Elie Beyrouthy, chair of the European Payment Institutions Federation, told Euronews. “It remains to be seen how to do that.”
Trump congratulates Colombia presidential candidate
Trump congratulated Abelardo De La Espriella, known by many as ‘El Tigre,’ following an initial ballot count. While not officially called, the narrow lead signals a potential rightward shift for Colombia. (Reuters.)
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Progressive candidate Iván Cepeda on Wednesday conceded Colombia’s presidential election to conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espriella, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump.
The concession came days after Cepeda initially refused to acknowledge defeat following preliminary results that showed de la Espriella as the apparent winner.
“At this stage of the vote count, I have decided to accept the result emerging from that process, which indicates that Abelardo de la Espriella is the new President of the Republic,” Cepeda said in an address to the nation.
“I do so as an act of democratic responsibility.”
TRUMP SAYS COLOMBIA’S ‘EL TIGRE’ WILL BE A ‘GREAT PRESIDENT’ AS SOCIALIST OPPONENT LAUNCHES LEGAL CHALLENGE
Ivan Cepeda speaks during a campaign rally in Cali, Colombia, on June 6, 2026. (AFP via Getty Images)
De la Espriella, a businessman and lawyer who had never previously run for office, known to his supporters as “El Tigre,” defeated Senate member Iván Cepeda by one percentage point in a remarkably close election, according to officials.
“The vote count shows an extraordinarily narrow margin between the two options vying for the trust of the Colombian people,” he said. “Less than 1% of the vote separates the candidacies that participated in this contest.”
Despite his concession, Cepeda made serious allegations that de la Espriella’s victory was influenced by “foreign interference” by the United States and the use of artificial intelligence to manipulate voters.
“During this process, we denounced the open and improper foreign interference in Colombia’s internal affairs—particularly the interventions by the United States government, and specifically the interventions by President Donald Trump in support of Abelardo de la Espriella’s candidacy,” he said.
He further accused the opposing campaign of widespread vote-buying and unethical tactics that he said undermined the legitimacy of the election results.
ANTI-CARTEL HARDLINER CHANNELS TRUMP IN BID TO END COLOMBIA’S LEFTIST ERA IN PIVOTAL ELECTION
Abelardo de la Espriella delivers a speech to supporters during a campaign rally in Palmira, near Cali, Colombia on May 14, 2026. (Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP via Getty Images)
President-elect de la Espriella will begin his four-year term in August.
“Starting August 7, we will work with determination to consolidate a common agenda that strengthens the security, freedom, and prosperity of our nations,” de la Espriella in a post on X.
The result will effectively end outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s leftist influence on the state and the policies Cepeda had pledged to continue if he won the election.
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, left, and President Donald Trump are shown in separate photographs. (Mauro Pimentel/AFP via Getty Images; Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
A core pillar of Petro’s signature agenda was his “total peace” strategy, aimed at opening negotiations with remaining guerrilla forces, drug cartels, and armed paramilitary groups in an effort to end Colombia’s decades long internal conflict.
In contrast, de la Espriella has pledged a more hardline approach, including a militarized crackdown on criminal organizations, proposals to build mega-prisons, expand fossil fuel fracking, and revive the controversial practice of aerial glyphosate spraying to eradicate coca crops.
The president-elect, who holds dual Colombian and U.S. citizenship, has also said he plans to add Colombia to the Trump-dubbed “Shield of the Americas,” a proposed coalition aimed at coordinating efforts against criminal groups in Latin America.
Published on
Ten years after the UK voted to exit the European Union, the debate over Brexit’s legacy is far from over. MEPs Barry Andrews (Renew Europe) and Sander Smit (European Conservatives & Reformists) go head-to-head on whether Brexit has strengthened or weakened Europe—and whether Britain could or should one day return to the bloc.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
For Irish MEP Barry Andrews, the answer is clear. He argues that leaving the EU was a mistake and a “total disaster” for the UK, pointing to years of political instability and economic challenges since the referendum. He also contends that Brexit has ultimately strengthened support for the European project, stating that “there is nobody looking to leave the European Union anymore.”
Dutch MEP Sander Smit takes a different view, saying the EU still misses “the UK’s crucial voice for fiscal and financial discipline” and warning against a more centralised Europe. “Our future lies in a stronger partnership,” he says. “Let the UK and EU countries move beyond the past and work together as natural, sovereign allies.”
The Ring is hosted by Méabh Mc Mahon, produced by Luis Albertos Altarejos and Amaia Echevarria, and edited by Vassilis Glynos.
You can contact us at: thering@euronews.com
-
Technology10 minutes agoA new paper argues Microsoft exaggerated its quantum claims a year ago
-
World15 minutes agoColombia’s ‘El Tigre’ secures presidency as leftist rival finally concedes defeat
-
Politics22 minutes agoComer probes alleged Biden collusion with gun control activists in Glock lawsuit
-
Sports30 minutes ago2026 World Cup Third-Place Standings: Who’s In, Who’s On The Bubble
-
Technology37 minutes agoFCC phone ID plan could end burner phones
-
Business40 minutes agoSony Pictures invests $100 million in virtual reality venue Cosm
-
Entertainment45 minutes agoCulture Clash knows the end is near. It wants to go out with a bang
-
Politics55 minutes agoVice President JD Vance’s visit gives ‘The View’ a ratings boost
