Millions of scam calls from abroad using spoofed UK landline numbers are set to be blocked, following a new directive from the UK’s telecoms regulator, Ofcom.
Starting from Monday, all phone companies will have six months to identify and block calls originating from abroad that falsely display a UK telephone number. This measure aims to curb the long-standing issue of scammers using spoofed numbers to deceive consumers into thinking they are receiving calls from legitimate UK entities, such as banks or government departments.
For years, fraudsters have exploited technology to change their phone number’s appearance, making it seem like they are calling from trusted UK sources. Victims often see what appears to be their bank’s number on their handset and are duped into believing they are speaking with the bank’s fraud department, leading to substantial financial losses.
The Guardian highlighted this issue as early as 2019, revealing that many people were unaware of the ability for scammers to spoof numbers. The newspaper’s reports brought attention to cases where readers collectively lost £290,000 from their bank accounts due to such scams.
While telecom companies like BT have already been blocking up to a million spoofed calls daily since July 2022, and others like TalkTalk have implemented similar measures, the new Ofcom order mandates all telecom providers to block these “presentation” numbers. However, the implementation period means scammers can continue using some networks until January 2025.
In 2023 alone, criminals stole £1.17 billion through unauthorised and authorised fraud in the UK, much of it initiated through spoofed calls.
Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s group director for networks and communications, emphasized the importance of this new regulation: “Criminals who defraud people by exploiting phone networks cause huge distress and financial harm to their victims. While there are encouraging signs that scam calls and texts are declining, they remain widespread. We’re determined to tackle this problem by blocking millions more scam calls from abroad using spoofed UK landline numbers and exploring solutions for mobile numbers.”
Ernest Doku, a telecoms expert at uSwitch, supported the move, noting that increased mistrust has led many people to avoid answering their phones due to fear of scams. He acknowledged that while the changes will take time to implement, the six-month timeline set by Ofcom could delay the reduction in scam calls until early 2025.