BEREC external workshop on combatting fraud

On Thursday, 21 May 2026, from 13:30 to 16:00, BEREC will hold an external stakeholder workshop on combatting fraud, organised by the BEREC Cybersecurity and Resilience Working Group, co-chaired by Katja Kmet Vrcko (AKOS, Slovenia) and Zdravko Jukic (HAKOM, Croatia). The workshop will be held online via AVC connection (registered participants only).

Background

In recent years, the rapid digitalisation of services has been accompanied by a significant rise in online fraud targeting end users across the European Union. As highlighted in the NIS Cooperation Group’s report of 21 February 2024 on the cybersecurity and resilience of the EU’s communications infrastructure and networks, smishing and vishing attacks have become increasingly prevalent. These techniques are used by malicious actors to deceive individuals into visiting fraudulent websites that impersonate trusted entities such as government services, delivery providers or retailers, or to compromise sensitive data, including two-factor authentication codes sent via SMS.

While smishing represents a critical and highly visible threat vector, it is only one aspect of a broader and rapidly evolving fraud landscape. Attackers are continuously adapting their methods, leveraging both technological vulnerabilities and human factors so as to exploit communications networks and digital services. As part of its efforts, BEREC will assess the current state of fraud in the electronic communications sector, identify key trends and determine the most pressing challenges which require coordinated action.

Aim

This external workshop marks an important step in this process. Building on ongoing collaboration with ENISA and other important stakeholders, it will be a unique opportunity for dialogue among BEREC members, other relevant national authorities, electronic communications providers, equipment vendors and key European institutions, including the European Commission and Europol. The insights gathered will be important for further BEREC’s forthcoming analytical work.

Workshop Format

The workshop will consist of two panels.

Panel 1: Global Regulatory Best Practices

Fraud prevention strategies and regulatory frameworks across key markets: USA, India, Colombia, UK, and EU.

Panel 2: Industry Solutions

Equipment providers and telecom operators present and discuss their latest anti-fraud technologies and approaches.

Following the workshop, BEREC will publish a summary report by the end of 2026.

Looking ahead, the outcomes of this workshop will serve as a more general foundational input for future work of BEREC in this field also in cooperation with other competent European institutions. In particular, they will contribute to the preparation of a potential follow-up document, possibly titled Best Practices on Combatting Fraud, to be developed in 2027 in cooperation with ENISA and other partners like EUROPOL from both the public and private sectors.

The agenda will be published shortly.

Registration

Please register your interest in attending this public workshop by filling out the registration form below by 20 May 2026 if you wish to follow the workshop online.

The connection details will be shared with registered participants ahead of the workshop.

Contact

For questions related to organisational matters, please direct them to the following email address: [email protected].

BEREC’s work on cybersecurity and resilience

Security in the digital space has become more important over the years as many services get their digital variants. Therefore, ensuring cybersecurity and resilience in Europe’s communications infrastructure and networks is crucial. Together with ENISA, the NIS CG, and other relevant authorities in Member States, BEREC plays a supportive role in achieving the common goal of secure and resilient European networks.

Learn more about the BEREC Cybersecurity and Resilience Working Group and the subject Cybersecurity and Resilience.