Massive Fines: Using such a list for any form of outreach (cold calls, SMS marketing) immediately puts you in violation of GDPR. The Latvian Data State Inspectorate (Datu valsts inspekcija) can impose colossal fines – up to €20 million or 4% of your annual global turnover, whichever is higher. These aren't theoretical threats; regulators actively enforce these rules.
Reputational Blacklist: Beyond fines, your business will gain a reputation for unethical practices, which can be devastating in a market like Latvia where privacy awareness is high. Trust is incredibly difficult to build and easy to destroy.
2. The "Ping" or "One-Ring" Scam Connection
Verifying Active Numbers: Many illicit phone number lists are used by scammers for "ping" or "one-ring" scams. latvia phone number list This involves calling a number and hanging up after just one ring. The purpose isn't to talk to you, but to:
Verify if the number is active: If you call back, it confirms your number is in use, making it a more valuable target for future scams.
Trick you into calling premium-rate numbers: Some scams use international or premium-rate numbers (+371 is Latvia's country code). If you call back out of curiosity, you might be charged exorbitant rates, with the scammer receiving a cut.
Automated Dialers: These lists are often fed into automated dialer systems that generate thousands of "one-ring" calls, making it impossible to distinguish legitimate missed calls from scam attempts.
Outdated and Useless: The numbers on these lists are typically scraped from old databases, publicly available (but not for marketing purposes) sources, or even generated randomly. A significant portion will be disconnected, inactive, or belong to people who have moved or changed numbers.
Irrelevant Contacts: Even if a number is active, the individual behind it likely has no interest in your product or service. You're simply calling random people, wasting your time and resources, and annoying them in the process.
4. Association with Fraud and Cybercrime