News
UK telcos have taken a significant step towards tackling the persistent issue of scam calls by committing to a new Telecommunications Fraud Charter. This initiative unites major mobile service providers, including BT/EE, Virgin Media O2, VodafoneThree, Tesco Mobile, TalkTalk, and Sky, with Comms Council UK (CCUK), in a concerted effort to clamp down on fraud and better protect victims.
The charter, announced ahead of the UK Government’s forthcoming Fraud Strategy, embodies a series of targeted anti-fraud measures designed to disrupt scam call operations and offer faster support to those affected.
According to recent data, 96% of mobile users decide whether to answer a call based on the displayed number, with 75% unlikely to respond to unknown international numbers. As a result, scammers from outside the country are increasingly posing as calling from within the UK.
As a result, today’s signatories are have committing to rolling out advanced call tracing technology across their networks, in order to locate and block scam calls. The Charter supports the development of a Traceback system, enabling operators to pinpoint the origin of suspicious or fraudulent calls in real time across networks. This initiative is part of a broader push for inter-sector collaboration, encouraging data sharing between telecommunications, banking, and technology industries.
Public awareness campaigns and improved victim support mechanisms are also key components of the plan. The CCUK has committed to developing best-practice guidance aimed at commercial customers, enhancing how service providers detect, respond to, and communicate fraud-related threats.
In addition, the Charter provides greater scope for data sharing with law enforcement, providing them with the necessary intelligence to track down scammers more effectively. Victims of fraud will benefit from quicker response times, with support fast-tracked to within two weeks.
“This initiative brings together government and industry to deliver change for consumers and businesses.The overall message around collaborative data sharing, advanced technology solutions, and unified public messaging will help disrupt fraudulent activity at scale,” said Tracey Wright, Chair of Comms Council UK.
“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,” added Lord Hanson, the UK’s Minister for Fraud.
This industry initiative aligns with various regulatory updates from Ofcom over recent years. Just last week, Ofcom announced new measures designed to block, limit and disrupt mobile scammers.
Also in the news
Connected Britain Award winners 2025 announced!
Netomnia announces ‘powerful and ambitious’ rebrand ahead of Connected Britain
VodafoneThree drops Samsung, relies on Nokia and Ericsson for £2bn network upgrade
