Spoofed numbers blocked in crackdown on scammers

Scammers hiding behind fake numbers will be unmasked under a new partnership with Britain's biggest phone companies to protect the public from fraud. 

A landmark new agreement between government and industry, signed at the BT Tower today, will see a raft of new measures to safeguard the UK's mobile network from fraud. It will make it harder than ever for criminals to trick people through scam calls, using cutting edge technology to expose fraudsters and bring them to justice. 

Scam calls and texts are a daily frustration for many, with criminals based abroad often impersonating trusted organisations like banks and government departments to deceive people to steal money or personal information. 

Britain's biggest mobile networks have committed to upgrade their network within the next year to eliminate the ability for foreign call centres to spoof UK numbers, making it clear that calls are originating from abroad – exposing scammers lies. Data shows that 96% of mobile users decide whether to answer a call based on the number displayed on their screen, with three-quarters unlikely to pick up if it's from an unknown international number.  

Advanced call tracing technology will also be rolled out across mobile networks to give police the intelligence to track down scammers operating across the country and dismantle their operations.  

New commitments to boost data sharing with the police will shine a light on the mobile networks that let scam calls slip through the net, empowering customers and making it harder for scams to go undetected. 

Minister for Fraud, Lord Hanson said: 

Spoofed calls allow scammers to deceive the public with fake identities and false promises. This government is committed to tackling fraud.

In a major upgrade of our mobile network, call spoofing will be eliminated within a year - stripping away the tools scammers use to cheat people out of their hard-earned cash. 

We're stepping up our defences to protect victims and make sure the UK is the hardest place in the world for scammers to operate.

These measures form part of the new Telecoms Charter, which brings together government and top mobile networks to crack down on scam calls. Signatories include BT EE, Virgin Media O2, VodafoneThree, Tesco Mobile, Talk Talk, Sky and Comms Council UK (CCUK). 

AI will also be deployed to identify and block suspicious calls and texts, halting scammers before they can reach users' mobiles.   

For the first time, industry is pledging to set clear, measurable goals to ensure fraud victims receive prompt and specialist assistance.  

Victims will also now see swifter support from phone networks, with help times to be slashed to two weeks, helping affected individuals recover more quickly and confidently.   

Fraud has become the UK's most reported crime, affecting individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Beyond financial losses, scam calls can cause emotional distress and undermine public trust in essential services.  

With advanced AI tools, rapid case support, and new staff training, mobile networks are working nonstop to outsmart scammers and protect every customer from harm. 

The new pact follows recent action by the UK Government, in partnership with the US, to disrupt major online fraud networks with targeted sanctions on scam centres in Southeast Asia. 

Building on progress since 2021, the new agreement sets out clear commitments to keep the public's hard earned cash out of the hands of fraudsters as part of the Plan for Change. The upcoming Fraud Strategy will build on this work to unite industry, disrupt criminal networks and better protect the public. 

Voice and telephony membership body CCUK will also create practical guidance for members to prevent and tackle fraud.   

Government and mobile networks will monitor results, challenge each other to go further, and keep evolving as scammers change tactics. 

Brian Webb, Chair, Communications Crime Strategy Group CSO, BT/EE 

Fraud is a threat to us all. And so we must all act to tackle it. As the voice of crime and security for the telecommunications sector, the Communications Crime Strategy Group are glad to play our part.  

Through the actions we've agreed in this Charter, the telecoms sector will make the UK a harder target for fraudsters, and a safer place for the public. The actions that we have committed to will deliver real change - from expanding trusted data sharing and enhancing call security, to using artificial intelligence responsibly, and supporting victims with compassion and speed. 

Together, these commitments form a promise: that the telecoms industry will play its full part in tackling the fraud epidemic that the UK faces.

Rachel Andrews, Corporate Security and Fraud Director Vodafone Three 

Vodafone and Three block millions of scam texts and fraudulent calls for their customers every day.

The second Telecommunications Fraud Charter will take this even further, strengthening how we work across the industry and with government to stay one step ahead of criminals. By combining data, collaboration and innovation, we can keep people and businesses safe and build the trusted, secure digital networks the UK depends on every day.

Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud Prevention Virgin Media O2 

Fraud has a devasting impact on its victims and costs the telecoms industry many millions of pounds each year. We're committed to preventing fraud and to date, we've blocked more than 1 billion scam texts from reaching our customers and are using AI to flag 50 million scam calls every month.  

No industry alone can completely prevent fraud but by working across sectors we can stop scams, disrupt organised gangs and help people protect themselves. We're playing our part and urge government to match our resolve in the forthcoming Fraud Strategy by providing law enforcement with the resources needed to bring fraudsters to justice.”  

Tracey Wright, Chair of Comms Council UK 

The launch of the second Telecommunications Fraud Charter marks a significant step forward in the fight against fraud in our sector. We are proud to support this initiative, which brings together government and industry to deliver real, lasting change for consumers and businesses alike. As part of the Charter, we commit to continue to release best practice guidance to our membership that will raise standards and reduce opportunities for fraudulent behaviour using voice and telephony. The Charter's overall message around collaborative data sharing, advanced technology solutions, and unified public messaging will strengthen our collective defences and help disrupt fraudulent activity at scale.  

Through my work with Comms Council UK, I have seen first-hand the positive impact of sector-wide collaboration and intelligence sharing. By aligning our efforts through this Charter, whether through joint initiatives on fraud detection or stronger customer protections, we are building a safer, more trusted communications environment for everyone. The Charter sets a clear path for the telecoms sector to lead by example, and we look forward to working alongside our partners to deliver on its commitments and create a future where fraudsters find it harder to succeed.

Deputy Commissioner Nik Adams at the City of London Police said:

It's time more measures are put in place for the protection of consumers against huge threats posed by criminals impersonating official organisations, like banks or telecoms companies, and using this apparent credibility to defraud victims out of their life savings.

The vital commitments made by mobile phone organisations today are a welcome step in the right direction to help tackle the harms posed from scam calls.

At the City of London Police, we are consistently working to evolve as the national policing lead for cyber crime and fraud, which is fundamentally driven by our collaborative work with the government and partners to improve the collective response to fraud. We know that fraud accounts for 50 per cent of all crime, and it is clear that increasing cross-sector partnership is fundamental to our mission to see much more fraud designed out to disrupt criminals before they even get started.