Press Launch
Virgin Media O2 has reached a significant milestone in its combat towards fraudsters, after utilizing AI to efficiently label greater than 1 billion suspected rip-off and spam calls to O2 clients. The warnings present up on clients’ cellphone screens earlier than they’ve even picked up the decision.
Generally known as Name Defence, the free service in partnership with Hiya, a world chief in trusted voice options, kicks in at any time when a buyer receives a name from an unknown quantity. It makes use of Adaptive AI to analyse cellphone quantity behaviour and considers a variety of knowledge factors in real-time to find out whether or not it might be a rip-off or spam name.
If the decision is deemed dangerous, clients are warned with a transparent label on their cellphone display screen. It acts as an early warning system which empowers clients by giving them the data they want to decide on whether or not to reply the cellphone. Alongside labelling suspicious calls, the expertise additionally blocks identified fraudulent calls.
O2 first launched the service for its clients in November 2024, and in the present day round 70 million calls each month are being labelled as suspected rip-off or spam. This can be a important enhance since a 12 months in the past as extra clients have unlocked the free profit by means of machine and software program upgrades.
The expertise helps clients keep secure. Calls labelled as “suspected rip-off” are answered 42% much less usually and final 89% much less time than unflagged calls.
Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud Prevention at Virgin Media O2, mentioned: “At Virgin Media O2, clients are our high precedence, and we’re investing closely to maintain them secure from scams and guarantee we’re a community they will depend on. This contains utilizing the newest AI expertise for good, to proactively cease fraudsters from attending to our clients.
“Having warned our clients about greater than 1 billion calls, and prevented greater than 1 billion dodgy messages from ever reaching them, in the present day marks one other milestone in our combat towards fraudsters. With scammers stopping at nothing – impersonating nicely‑identified manufacturers and authorities departments – to earn victims’ belief, it’s by no means been extra essential to remain vigilant and report suspicious exercise to 7726.”
Alex Algard, CEO and Founding father of Hiya mentioned: “We’ve all skilled that second of doubt when an unknown quantity seems on our display screen. A cellphone name ought to create connection, not anxiousness. By working with Virgin Media O2 to label 1 billion suspected rip-off calls in actual time, we’re giving clients readability earlier than they ever choose up. When clients are warned in actual time, scammers lose their benefit.”
High Rip-off Calls in January 2026
New knowledge from Virgin Media O2 and Hiya gives insights into the businesses most frequently being impersonated and strategies utilized by scammers to focus on victims over the cellphone:
- Amazon: Scammers impersonate Amazon buyer assist, claiming there’s a problem with an order or a fraudulent buy. Their aim is to trick victims into offering account credentials or bank card info, usually by urging them to confirm particulars or resolve a faux drawback
- HMRC: Each dwell and prerecorded robocalls threatening authorized motion for unpaid taxes.
- Banking: A fraudster telephones a possible sufferer claiming to be from their financial institution’s fraud staff, safety staff or customer support. Their aim is to trick them into handing over delicate info, granting entry to their accounts or transferring cash to them ‘to maintain it secure’.
- Fee providers – VISA: Scammers declare there’s a fraudulent cost or a problem processing a fee. Their aim is to trick victims into offering bank card info beneath the guise of resolving the issue. One of these rip-off is particularly frequent in the course of the vacation season when persons are making frequent purchases and could also be extra prone to consider an pressing payment-related alert.
- Insurance coverage: Scammers impersonate insurance coverage suppliers, claiming coverage points, missed funds or a brand new declare that requires pressing motion. Their goal is to stress victims into sharing private particulars or fee info.
With scammers utilizing more and more sensible ways, and even harnessing new applied sciences themselves, Virgin Media O2 is asking on Brits to stay vigilant concerning sudden calls and report suspected scams to 7726.
These studies are utilized by the telecoms firm to research and block cell numbers utilized by fraudsters, and in addition assist it to assist refine its blocking providers, making it simpler to establish new developments and block messages sooner.
O2 has blocked greater than 1 billion rip-off messages thus far, partly due to studies to 7726.
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