Ofcom scam alert as new measure to be rolled out in crackdown on fraudsters

Millions of scam calls from abroad, which use spoofed UK landline numbers, are set to be blocked under a new crackdown. Phone companies will now have to identify and block calls from abroad that falsely display a UK telephone number as a "presentation number", according to strengthened guidance from Ofcom.

Criminals often imitate or "spoof" phone numbers from trusted individuals, organisations, or government departments to defraud victims, knowing their calls are more likely to be answered. Fraudsters based abroad frequently spoof UK numbers, aware that people are more likely to answer them than an unknown international number.

Ofcom stated that evidence suggests the new blocking measures would significantly protect the public from scam calls. BT has already prevented up to one million calls per day from entering its network within the first month of voluntarily implementing the measures, and Ofcom said its guidance would ensure it became standard practice across the industry.

The regulator is also seeking views on the effectiveness, costs, risks and timescales of different technical solutions to tackle scam calls from abroad which spoof UK mobile numbers. Its current rules do not require operators to block all calls from abroad with +447 numbers to ensure that genuine calls from UK callers roaming abroad get through.

Ofcom has revealed an intriguing decline in the number of consumers receiving dubious calls and texts, although the issue remains quite prevalent.

In their recent findings for 2024, Ofcom reported a notable dip with 48 percent of UK landline users claiming to have been targeted by suspicious calls within the last three months, showing a decrease from the 56 percent reported back in 2021.

Simultaneously, mobile users have seen a reduction in suspicious call rates, dropping from 45 percent to 39 percent through the same timeframe.

On the flip side, the likelihood of getting a dodgy text message is most common among mobile users, yet these occurrences have also reduced from a startling 74 percent in 2021 to a lower 56 percent in 2024.

Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom's group director for networks and communications, has made her stance clear: "Criminals who defraud people by exploiting phone networks cause huge distress and financial harm to their victims."

She adds that despite the positive trend in scam calls and texts reduction, the prevalence is still significant, declaring, "While there's encouraging signs that scam calls and texts are declining, they remain widespread and we're keeping our foot to the throttle to find new and innovative ways to tackle the problem."

Fussell highlights the proactive measures being taken, pointing out that "Under our strengthened industry guidance, millions more scam calls from abroad which use spoofed UK landline numbers will be blocked, with similar plans underway for calls which spoof UK mobile numbers."

The industry is also being spurred on to think creatively and offer evidence on the most effective methods to address scams via mobile messaging, as stated by Fussell, "We're also challenging the industry and other interested parties to provide evidence on the best solutions to tackle mobile messaging scams."