O2 has confirmed a free upgrade for millions of UK customers, as the telecoms firm steps up its fight against nuisance calls. The network is rolling out AI-powered fraud call blocking to all customers, following a successful trial earlier this autumn. The new security feature could stop more than 3 million malicious calls per week from reaching customers' phones.
How the Free Service Works
The latest technology uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify and block suspected scam calls in real time, helping protect customers from fraudsters before they even pick up. Users do not need to do anything to benefit, as the free service is rolled out automatically across O2's network to all compatible devices.
Scam phone calls continue to be a huge issue for UK smartphone owners, with the latest stats showing a surge in attacks. Some simply use a recorded message whilst others have a real person on the end of the line that claims better deals are available or services are about to be shut down unless the customer acts.
Official 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. But with scammers evolving too, everyone can play their part by reporting new numbers to 7726 so we can shut them down faster."
Minister for Fraud, Lord Hanson, added: "The criminals behind scam calls are using ever more sophisticated tactics to deceive people and steal their money.
"Through our Fraud Strategy and Telecoms Charter, we are continuing our work with mobile networks to block scam calls before they reach the public.
"I welcome this initiative from O2, which will stop millions of scam calls and make it harder for fraudsters to target customers."
The rollout means O2 customers can expect fewer scam calls to reach their devices, with the network automatically updating all compatible phones.
