Mobile phone users in the UK are set to receive much stronger protection from scam texts and "spoofed" calls, following a robust package of measures finalised by Ofcom today.
With fraud making up roughly 45% of all reported crime in England and Wales, these new rules aim to shut down the gaps that international criminal gangs exploit to target British consumers and businesses.
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| How scammers exploit mobile networks. Source: ISP Review |
Why Now? The Scale of the Problem
The Cost: In 2025 alone, victims in the UK lost a staggering £1.28 billion to fraudsters.
The Reach: Four in ten (40%) UK mobile users report receiving at least one suspicious message in the last three months.
To address this, the UK communications regulator is introducing strict new requirements for mobile providers to intercept scams at their source.
How the New Rules Work
The strategy splits mobile scams into two main categories: person-to-person (P2P) and business (A2P) messaging, applying targeted rules to block both.
1. Person-to-Person (P2P) Scams
These occur when a fraudster uses a standard SIM card to impersonate a friend or family member in distress (e.g., the infamous "Hi Mum" text).
Action taken: Providers must collect scam data from customers and anti-fraud organisations, block identified numbers, and dynamically filter out messages containing known malicious weblinks or phone numbers in transit.
Volume Limits: Strictly limiting the number of texts that can be sent from pay-as-you-go SIM cards to prevent automated mass-messaging.
2. Business Messaging Scams
This is where scammers hijack or fake corporate sender names (like bank or courier names) to make their phishing links look authentic.
"Know Your Customer" (KYC): Strict background checks on new businesses before they can send mass messages.
Sender ID Verification: Providers must verify that the business sending a text actually owns the sender ID (e.g., stopping a sender claiming to be a delivery company if they are registered as a local hair salon).
Incident Management: Swiftly rooting out scammers and holding platforms accountable if they fail to perform proper due diligence.
Cracking Down on "Spoofed" Foreign Calls
Additionally, Ofcom is tackling the menace of international calls that disguise themselves with UK mobile numbers to trick people into answering.
Under the updated guidance, UK telecoms networks must withhold caller ID displays for any incoming international call mimicking a UK mobile number—unless the network can prove the caller is a legitimate UK customer roaming abroad.
What You Can Do
While these network-level defences will significantly reduce the number of scam messages slipping through, some may still occasionally bypass filters.
Important: If you receive a suspicious text, call, or message, you can help train the network filters by forwarding the message or reporting the number to 7726 (which spells "SPAM" on an alphanumeric keypad). This service is completely free and helps providers quickly shut down active scam runs.
If you have fallen victim to a scam and lost money, report it immediately to Action Fraud (by visiting www.reportfraud.police.uk or calling 0300 123 2040) or to Police Scotland by calling 101.
Source: Ofcom
