Complaints about “robo calls” that use an automated voice to potentially trick people into joining WhatsApp groups or sharing personal information have spiked in recent months, the UK’s data watchdog has warned.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said it was investigating the rise of automated nuisance calls and was urging the public to report them.
Sharp rise in complaints
The number of complaints has almost tripled in three months to reach the highest level in five years, it said.
There were 1,374 complaints in July, which rose to 2,178 in August, before climbing to 3,684 in September, it reported.
The ICO said this could be the “tip of the iceberg” with there likely to be many more incidents that are not being reported.
How the calls work
Automated and AI-enabled marketing calls, also known as robo calls, can use an automated voice to trick people into joining WhatsApp groups, sharing personal information or engaging with fraudulent schemes.
Some appear to impersonate recruiters offering flexible or part-time work opportunities that can lead to recruitment scams.
Watchdog’s response
Andy Curry, head of investigations at the ICO, said: “The sharp rise in complaints about automated calls is deeply concerning.
“These calls are not just a nuisance; they can cause real distress and are often designed to manipulate people into handing over personal information or money.
“The numbers we’re seeing are likely to be just the tip of the iceberg. We know many people simply hang up and move on without reporting what happened.”
Mr Curry told the BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours programme that he suspected there might be “millions of people” who were receiving automated calls, adding that he had received one and so had a colleague who was leading the investigation.
He said he believed the calls were coming from abroad and the ICO was trying to find any UK link so that the regulator could take enforcement action.
Mr Curry said his message to the public was to report any suspicious automated calls that they receive by using the ICO’s online reporting tool.
