UK Phone Companies to Boost Security and Stop Fake Caller ID Scams
Six of the UK’s biggest telecom companies are joining forces to make phone calls safer. They plan to use new technology over the next year to stop fraudsters from pretending to call from UK phone numbers — a trick known as “spoofing.”
Spoofing happens when scammers make a call look like it’s coming from a real company, such as a bank or a government office. This tricks people into thinking the call is genuine. Many people have lost money after being fooled by these fake calls.
To stop this, major phone providers — BT/EE, Virgin Media O2, Vodafone, Three, Tesco Mobile, TalkTalk, and Sky — are working together with the government and the industry group Comms Council UK (CCUK). They will sign a new deal called the Second Telecommunications Fraud Charter. This agreement sets out steps to protect customers from phone scams, especially those coming from overseas call centres.
Under the new system, it will be easier to see when a call is coming from outside the UK. Fraudsters based in other countries will no longer be able to disguise their calls with fake UK numbers. This means people will be less likely to be tricked into thinking they are talking to their bank or another trusted organisation.
The telecom regulator, Ofcom, had already introduced a rule earlier this year requiring phone companies to block all calls from abroad that falsely use UK landline numbers. Now, the new agreement goes even further. The six telecom companies will strengthen the “security, traceability, and reliability” of their networks within the next 12 months.
They will also work with Ofcom to create a new call-tracing process. This will allow them to track where calls are really coming from, making it easier to stop criminals and protect customers.
According to the UK Home Office, most people already ignore calls from foreign numbers. However, when the call appears to come from a UK number — like a bank or local business — people are much more likely to answer. That’s why stopping number spoofing is such an important step.
Home Office Minister David Hanson said the changes will help shut down a major tool used by scammers. “In a major upgrade of our mobile network, call spoofing will be eliminated within a year — taking away the tools criminals use to cheat people out of their hard-earned cash,” he said.
Spoofing has become one of the most common types of phone fraud in the UK. Scammers often copy a bank’s real number, so the call looks trustworthy. Once the person answers, the fraudster may pretend to be from the bank’s fraud department and ask for personal or financial details.
Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud Prevention at Virgin Media O2, said his company already flags about 50 million scam calls every month. “No industry can stop fraud alone,” he said. “But by working together, we can block scams, disrupt organised crime, and help people stay safe.”
Published: 5th November 2025
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