Telenor Norway Deploys Hiya to Stop New Wave of Fraud Calls Targeting Norwegians

Fraud calls rise 39% in Norway, highlighted by recent attack of more than 200,000 fraud calls from North Korea in a single day

SEATTLE & FORNEBU, Norway--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Telenor Norway has deployed Hiya’s intelligent call security to protect their subscribers from fraud and nuisance calls. Hiya’s security service is integrated with Telenor’s Se Hvem app on iOS and Android, and detects and flags fraud and nuisance calls for Telenor Norway users. As a recent wave of 200,000 fraud calls from North Korea hit Norway on January 13, Telenor Norway users protected by Hiya’s fraud labeling did not fall victim to the widespread scam attack.

“There is no doubt about it that Norwegians are sought-after targets for scammers,” says Ric Brown, Telenor Norway’s Mobile Director. “Now that we are introducing a more intelligent solution to the market, it will hopefully be a little easier to manoeuvre in what is an increasingly opaque landscape. Nevertheless, I would still encourage everyone to exercise particular caution and familiarise themselves with which types of scams are common.”

The launch of the new service comes as fraud calls continue to rise in Norway, with a 39% rise in fraud calls in 2020. According to a recent survey by Telenor, more than 1 in 3 Norwegians reported experiencing fraud calls and 17% reported an increase during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The recent wave of fraud attempts on Norwegians highlights the need for an additional layer of voice security to keep people protected from fraud calls,” said Kush Parikh, Hiya COO. “We’re pleased to partner with Telenor Norway and provide our global insights and intelligence to ensure their customers stay protected from these global fraud threats."

The growth in fraud calls was highlighted on January 13 when more than 200,000 fraud calls targeting Norwegians were detected from suspicious North Korean phone numbers. The campaign used the Wangiri method, one of the world’s most widespread phone scams where fraudsters call the victim and hang up after one ring to trick the victim into calling back a premium rate number, which is how the fraudsters profit. According to Telenor, more than 2,000 Norwegians have called back, but no users protected by Hiya’s fraud labeling returned the call.

Mobile customers in Norway can learn more about this new service and the Se Hvem app by visiting https://www.telenor.no/privat/mobil/app/se-hvem/.

About Hiya

Hiya is trusted by global businesses, carriers and consumers to provide secure, engaging connections and stop unwanted calls. Built on the world’s leading Voice Performance Platform, Hiya connects businesses with their customers, helps carriers secure their networks, and protects people from spam and fraud calls. Hiya’s SaaS applications, Hiya Connect and Hiya Protect, serve more than 140 million users, power services like AT&T Call Protect and Samsung Smart Call, and deliver voice performance insights to businesses across the globe. Learn more at www.hiya.com.

About Telenor Norway

Telenor Norway is a part of Telenor Group, which is a leading telecommunications company across the Nordics and Asia with 180 million customers and annual sales of around USD 12 billion (2019). We are committed to responsible business conduct and driven by the ambition of empowering societies. Connectivity has been Telenor’s domain for more than 160 years, and our purpose is to connect our customers to what matters most.