O2 has introduced new AI-powered technology to automatically block suspected scam calls before they reach customers' phones. The free service is being rolled out across the mobile network following a successful trial earlier this autumn, with more than three million fraudulent calls expected to be blocked every week.
How the technology works
The technology, developed by voice security company Hiya, uses artificial intelligence to identify suspicious calling patterns and prevent suspected fraudsters from reaching customers. O2 customers with compatible devices do not need to download an app, change their settings or pay anything extra to benefit from the protection.
Virgin Media O2 stated that it was the first UK mobile operator to block all calls identified as suspected scams, rather than simply displaying a warning when a potentially fraudulent number rings.
Scale of the problem
The company has already used Hiya's technology to flag more than 1.6 billion suspected scam and spam calls since the beginning of 2024, helping it build a database of suspicious calling activity.
During testing, O2 found that scammers repeatedly attempted to contact the same customers after their calls had been blocked. Some 60 per cent of blocked calls were followed by another attempt within one minute, while numbers identified as fraudulent made three times as many calls after being blocked as before.
Company response
Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud Prevention at Virgin Media O2, said: "Picking up the phone shouldn't feel like a gamble, with customers left second-guessing whether they can trust the person at the other end of the line.
"That's why we're stepping up our defences, evolving our AI scam call detection service from flagging to blocking fraudulent callers, stopping that first ring in real time.
"With over 3 million calls expected to be blocked each week, we're helping keep more Brits safe from scams than ever before."
Impact on customers
The latest Virgin Media O2 Scam Index found that 61 per cent of people who encountered a suspected scam between July and September had received a suspicious phone call, an increase of five percentage points compared with the previous quarter.
More than two in five people also reported ignoring unknown calls, messages or texts because of concerns about scams, rising to nearly six in 10 among those aged over 55.
Minister for Fraud Lord Hanson welcomed the new technology and said: "The criminals behind scam calls are using ever more sophisticated tactics to deceive people and steal their money."
He added: "I welcome this initiative from O2, which will stop millions of scam calls and make it harder for fraudsters to target customers."
O2 will continue to flag suspected spam calls, allowing customers to decide whether to answer potentially unwanted calls.
The provider also uses firewall technology to intercept fraudulent text messages, with more than 1.4 billion blocked to date.
Customers who receive a suspicious call or text can report it free of charge by forwarding the details to 7726, helping mobile networks identify and block emerging scams.
