Ofcom clamp down on fake number fraud
Phone users will be better protected against scammers using fake phone numbers, under new rules announced today by Ofcom.
Scams are a widespread problem – three quarters of people have received a suspicious call or text in the last three months. This represents an estimated 40.8 million adults in the UK.
To help combat this widespread issue, Ofcom is strengthening its rules and guidance to require all telephone networks involved in transmitting calls – either to mobiles or landlines – to identify and block spoofed calls, where technically feasible. This will make it harder for scammers to use spoofed numbers.
The watchdog’s new study has revealed that people are more likely to pick up a call from a UK number they don’t recognise, than an unknown international number or a withheld number.
Fraudsters based abroad often exploit this, and spoof UK caller IDs knowing recipients are more likely to answer.
As well as strengthening rules, Ofcom has also updated guidance on how all phone companies should identify and block spoofed calls, including making sure a number meets the UK’s 10- or 11-digit format, blocking calls from numbers that are on Ofcom’s Do Not Originate list; and identifying and blocking calls from abroad spoofing a UK caller ID.
The guidance to telecoms firms to identify and block calls from abroad that falsely use UK numbers is based on an industry initiative, which some providers have already implemented voluntarily.
One of these – TalkTalk – previously stated it had seen a 65 per cent reduction in complaints about scam calls since it introduced this measure.
The media regulator is giving phone companies six months to make the necessary technical changes to comply with these new rules, which will come into force in May 2023.
“Scam calls and texts are a major source of fraud, and they represent a clear and present danger to every phone user. Criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and it’s easy to be caught out by a scam,” Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s Group Director for Networks and Communications, said.
“We’re constantly working with phone companies and other organisations on new ways to combat these scams. Blocking fake numbers can have a significant impact, so we’re making sure all phone companies apply this protection for their customers”.