Sber Blocks 11.4 Million Fraudulent Calls and Says Clients Kept 220 Billion Rubles

Since the start of 2026, Sber has blocked more than 11.4 million calls from fraudulent numbers and detected about 5 million malicious apps and viruses on clients' devices. According to the bank's press office, its protection systems shielded 7.4 million Russians and helped save more than 220 billion rubles. All figures come from the bank's own statement. They have not been independently verified.

Broken down per day (about 285 days passed between January 1 and October 12), the picture is impressive. The bank stops roughly 40,000 fraudulent calls a day and finds about 17,500 malicious programs on clients' devices. The money saved averages around 770 million rubles per day. For each protected person, that comes to about 30,000 rubles, which is close to the typical amount scammers try to extract in a single attack.

Two entry points: the call and the app

The release describes two lines of defense, and they cover different stages of the same scheme. The first works before the scammer reaches the victim: a call from a number already listed as fraudulent is blocked. The second kicks in after a person has installed a malicious program on their smartphone. This usually happens through social engineering: a "specialist" talks the victim into installing a remote-access app or "protective" software.

Key figures from the bank's statement:

• more than 11.4 million blocked calls from fraudulent numbers;
• about 5 million malicious apps and viruses detected on clients' devices;
• 7.4 million Russians who, by the bank's estimate, were protected;
• more than 220 billion rubles in saved funds;
• period: from January 1, 2026.

The bank does not say what technologies power the detection. There is no data on the false-positive rate, or on how many calls were blocked using number databases versus behavioral signals. It also does not say how many attacks still got through. For judging how well the system works, that information matters more than the total number of blocks.

How to read the 220 billion figure

The sum of "saved" money is prevented loss. That makes it an estimate, not recorded revenue and not an accounting metric. Figures like this are usually built from the amounts of stopped transactions or attempted withdrawals, and may rest on a model of the probability that a transaction was fraudulent. Sber's announcement does not name the specific calculation method. So the 220 billion should be compared with other banks' data or with official cybercrime statistics only with caution: everyone uses different methodologies.

Context matters too. Widespread use of anti-fraud systems is pushing scammers toward schemes in which the client carries out the transaction themselves under pressure from the caller. A technical filter works less well here: the transaction looks legitimate because the account holder really does confirm it. Blocking calls and hunting for malicious programs closes part of this path, but not all of it.

In practice: what to do today

The main measures require no technical skills:

• Do not give out codes from SMS or push notifications to anyone, including "bank employees." A real employee does not need these codes.
• If a call alarms you, hang up and call back at the number on the back of your card or in the bank's official app.
• Install programs only from official stores. Any request to install an app for "remote assistance" or a "security check" should raise suspicion immediately.
• Update your operating system regularly and check which apps have permission to access the screen and accessibility features.
• Turn on notifications for all transactions in your mobile bank, and set transfer limits. This is especially useful for elderly relatives.

Blocking millions of calls lowers the risk but does not reduce it to zero. The final decision, whether to press the button or read out the code, still rests with the person.