Ofcom, the UK’s telecommunications regulator, has announced that it is cracking down on “millions” of deceiving phone calls imitating UK landline numbers, according to an official notification.
The regulator has come up with stricter regulations for telecom companies for the handling of calls from abroad. The firms will be required to block foreign calls imitating UK numbers, a scam commonly known as “spoofing”. The new rules will come into effect from January 2025.
The “strengthened” regulations will help people against scams through calls that appear to be made from within the UK. In addition, Ofcom has called on telecom companies to contribute to the efforts with “innovative solutions” to help counter online scams more effectively.
“A common tactic used by criminals to defraud victims is to imitate – or ‘spoof’- phone numbers from a trusted person, organisation, or Government department, so their calls are more likely to be answered,” says Ofcom.
“Fraudsters based abroad often spoof UK numbers, knowing people are more likely to pick up these calls than if an unknown international number is displayed.”
In the last three months, nearly 48 per cent of landline users in the UK received suspicious calls imitating UK numbers, according to the regulator.
“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,” says Lindsey Fussell, group director for networks and communications at Ofcom. “We’re also challenging the industry and other interested parties to provide evidence on the best solutions to tackle mobile messaging scams.”
