How to stop bank spam calls: Where to complain and how to disconnect them
Tired of annoying bank sales calls ruining your peace and distracting you from important tasks? Well, you might not know this, but such calls are actually illegal if you didn't give your consent. Here's how you can put a stop to these spam calls - a guide by RIA Tomsk.
Back in February-April 2025, the Tomsk office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) fined banks like Rosselkhozbank, Bank UralSib, and Alpha-Bank after complaints from Tomsk residents about spam sales calls.
Before complaining about spam calls, it's crucial to figure out whether you gave consent for them. Often, this happens unknowingly when you sign up for mobile service providers. In the terms and conditions or rules for using their services, posted on their website, it might state that the subscriber agrees to receive marketing messages not only from the service provider but also from third parties.
Therefore, the first step is to carefully read the terms of your agreement and the service provider's official rules. Check if you agreed to receive marketing emails, and if you did, you can opt-out. The "Advertising Law" clearly prohibits advertising over phone lines without the user's prior consent.
To opt-out of marketing calls
If you discover that you inadvertently gave consent, you can revoke it. To do this, send a written statement to your service provider withdrawing your consent to receive marketing messages and calls. You can do this in several ways:
- In Person: Hand-deliver the statement to the service provider's office and get a receipt.
Remember, verbal or electronic communications are not reliable evidence, and in the event of a dispute, they may not be considered.
The service provider, per the law, must cease sending marketing messages without charging you. If the service provider violates this requirement, you have the right to file a complaint with the FAS.
If the calls continue even after filing your request
If after submitting your request, you continue to receive marketing calls, this is considered a breach of the Advertising Law. In such a case, you should indeed file a complaint with the territorial FAS.
To file a complaint with the FAS, you'll need a set of documents:
- Copy of the statement sent to the service provider with evidence of its delivery (receipt or notification of delivery).
- Screenshots of spam SMS or call logs, received after your opt-out.
- Details of calls to your number during the period of receiving marketing.
- Copy of the mobile service agreement.
- A letter of consent to disclose your communication records, signed by you.
Without these documents, the FAS cannot process your complaint.
How to properly file a complaint with the FAS
In the statement to the antimonopoly authority, you should provide the following information:
- Name and Contact Details of the Advertiser (if known).
- Period during which the advertising was received.
- Phone numbers from which and to which the calls were made.
- Your relationship with the advertiser (e.g., if you are a bank client).
- Your request to stop the violation of the law.
Alpha-Bank fined 1.8 million rubles for spam calls to Tomsk residents
Can you file a complaint directly to the bank?
If you know which bank or company is calling you, and you're willing to take action directly, you can send a written demand to stop sales calls. This request is made in the same way as a statement to the service provider: in writing, with a way to confirm its delivery.
If the bank or other company does not respond to the demand and continues to call, this can serve as a basis for a complaint to the FAS.
- In the year 2025, businesses like Alpha-Bank were fined by the Tomsk office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) for spam calls due to complaints from personal-finance businesses and individuals.
- The "Advertising Law" forbids the dissemination of advertising over phone lines without the user's prior consent, which includes section 2025 finance businesses.
- If you are still receiving spam calls from financial businesses after opting-out, it is a breach of the Advertising Law, and you should consider filing a complaint with the territorial FAS.
- To file a complaint with the FAS, you'll need to provide relevant documents such as the statement sent to the service provider, call logs, and a copy of the mobile service agreement.
