Top mobile networks including BT EE, VodafoneThree and Virgin Media 02, are to introduce a raft of new measures to protect consumers from fraud, under a new Telecoms Charter agreed with the UK government.
Among the measures, the telcos have committed to upgrade their network within the next year to eliminate the ability for foreign call centres to spoof UK numbers to impersonate banks, making it clear that calls are originating from abroad.
Data shows that 96% of mobile users decide whether to answer a call based on the number displayed on their screen, with three-quarters unlikely to pick up if it's from an unknown international number.
Advanced call tracing technology will also be rolled out across mobile networks to give police the intelligence to track down scammers operating across the country.
The networks are also planning to introduce AI tools to identify and block suspicious calls and texts, halting scammers before they can reach users’ mobiles.
Minister for Fraud, Lord Hanson says: “Spoofed calls allow scammers to deceive the public with fake identities and false promises. In a major upgrade of our mobile network, call spoofing will be eliminated within a year - stripping away the tools scammers use to cheat people out of their hard-earned cash."