UK Phone Number Spoofing to Become a Thing of the Past as Telecoms Giants Unite to Boost Security
A major crackdown on phone number spoofing is on the horizon for the UK, thanks to an unprecedented alliance between six top telecoms companies and government regulators. In a bid to curb widespread scams, these industry giants have pledged to upgrade their systems over the next 12 months, ensuring that foreign call centres cannot easily impersonate legitimate UK numbers.
Under the new agreement, which has been hailed as a major victory in the fight against fraud, phone providers will be equipped with advanced technology that can identify and block calls originating from abroad. This development comes after research revealed that three-quarters of people are unlikely to answer unknown foreign calls, highlighting the widespread fear and mistrust associated with phone scams.
The collaboration between telecoms giants, including BT/EE, Virgin Media O2, VodafoneThree, Tesco Mobile, Talk Talk, and Sky, as well as industry body Comms Council UK and government representatives, is a significant step forward in combating number spoofing. This tactic has become a favorite among scammers, who use it to gain the trust of unsuspecting victims by masquerading as legitimate entities such as banks or government departments.
The new technology, which will be rolled out over the next year, aims to put an end to this nefarious practice. Foreign call centres will no longer be able to display fake UK numbers, thereby reducing the number of people duped into believing they are speaking with a genuine institution. This development is expected to bring significant relief to consumers and businesses alike.
As part of the agreement, the telcos have committed to working closely with Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, to set up an advanced call-tracing process that will pinpoint the origin of incoming calls. This measure is designed to disrupt organized gangs responsible for perpetrating scams and help people protect themselves from falling victim to such schemes.
With this new technology in place, the UK can finally begin to stem the tide of phone number spoofing, a tactic that has been plaguing consumers for far too long. As one industry expert noted, "No industry alone can completely prevent fraud, but by working across sectors we can stop scams, disrupt organized gangs and help people protect themselves." With this united front against phone number spoofing, the UK is poised to take a significant step towards becoming a safer place for consumers to communicate.
A major crackdown on phone number spoofing is on the horizon for the UK, thanks to an unprecedented alliance between six top telecoms companies and government regulators. In a bid to curb widespread scams, these industry giants have pledged to upgrade their systems over the next 12 months, ensuring that foreign call centres cannot easily impersonate legitimate UK numbers.
Under the new agreement, which has been hailed as a major victory in the fight against fraud, phone providers will be equipped with advanced technology that can identify and block calls originating from abroad. This development comes after research revealed that three-quarters of people are unlikely to answer unknown foreign calls, highlighting the widespread fear and mistrust associated with phone scams.
The collaboration between telecoms giants, including BT/EE, Virgin Media O2, VodafoneThree, Tesco Mobile, Talk Talk, and Sky, as well as industry body Comms Council UK and government representatives, is a significant step forward in combating number spoofing. This tactic has become a favorite among scammers, who use it to gain the trust of unsuspecting victims by masquerading as legitimate entities such as banks or government departments.
The new technology, which will be rolled out over the next year, aims to put an end to this nefarious practice. Foreign call centres will no longer be able to display fake UK numbers, thereby reducing the number of people duped into believing they are speaking with a genuine institution. This development is expected to bring significant relief to consumers and businesses alike.
As part of the agreement, the telcos have committed to working closely with Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, to set up an advanced call-tracing process that will pinpoint the origin of incoming calls. This measure is designed to disrupt organized gangs responsible for perpetrating scams and help people protect themselves from falling victim to such schemes.
With this new technology in place, the UK can finally begin to stem the tide of phone number spoofing, a tactic that has been plaguing consumers for far too long. As one industry expert noted, "No industry alone can completely prevent fraud, but by working across sectors we can stop scams, disrupt organized gangs and help people protect themselves." With this united front against phone number spoofing, the UK is poised to take a significant step towards becoming a safer place for consumers to communicate.