New measures to stop scam calls from abroad

New measures implemented by Ofcom will help protect you against scammers who call from abroad and imitate UK numbers.

Although scam calls are decreasing, they still remain a problem and spoofing can be an incredibly deceptive scam

Read on find out what the new measures mean and how it might affect you.

What is Ofcom doing?

Ofcom already requires phone operators to block Network Numbers, which identify the origin of the call. 

It will now require phone operators to identify and block calls from abroad which are spoofing UK 'Presentation Numbers', which is the number that the call recipient sees.

Mobile numbers using '+447' will be exempt so that calls from UK roamers calling home won't be blocked.

Phone service providers will have six months to implement these changes, giving them to 29 January 2025. 

Ofcom also considered launching ‘Calling Line Identification (CLI) authentication', where the network from which the call originates confirms the authenticity of the caller’s telephone number before passing it to the network of the person receiving the call.

While Which? supports Ofcom's measures to tackle number spoofing, we were disappointed to see Ofcom's decision not to proceed with CLI authentication.

Ofcom has said it may still choose to re-examine this at a later date.

Protecting yourself from spoofed scam calls

Sadly, this doesn't mean you can start trusting unexpected calls. 

Not all scam calls will be captured by this change and phone providers don't have to block these calls until January 2025. 

You can also stay protected from scam callers by:

Never giving callers financial information over the phone.

Using a different phone or waiting for at least 15 minutes before calling a company back on a trusted number. This is because scammers may be able to keep your phone line open even after you’ve hung up.

Reporting scam calls

For scam calls received on an iPhone, text the word ‘call’ followed by the phone number to 7726.

On an Android, text the word ‘call’ to 7726. You’ll then receive a message asking you for the scam number.

On WhatsApp, open the WhatsApp chat with the dodgy phone number and tap 'report contact' and 'block'.

source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/new-measures-to-stop-scam-calls-from-abroad-arqUN7A2yzpj