Mobile networks including BT EE, VodafoneThree and Virgin Media O2 are to block foreign call centres from impersonating banks in a crackdown to eliminate call spoofing “within a year”.
New call tracing technology will “hunt down” scammers and victims will receive faster support, the Home Office said.
The agreement between the Government and industry will see a raft of measures to safeguard the UK’s mobile network from fraud.
The increased protection will involve identifying the provider that connects the call to the customer and asking who they got the call from, with the process continuing “upstream” until the source of the call is identified, the Home Office said.
Victims will also see swifter support from phone networks, with help times to be cut to two weeks.
Scam calls and texts are a daily frustration for many, with criminals based abroad often impersonating trusted organisations like banks and government departments to deceive people to steal money or personal information.
Britain’s biggest mobile networks have committed to upgrade their network within the next year to eliminate the ability for foreign call centres to spoof UK numbers.
Figures suggest 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 is 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 and dismantle their operations.
AI will also be deployed to identify and block suspicious calls and texts, halting scammers before they can reach users’ mobiles.
Minister for fraud, Lord Hanson, said: “Spoofed calls allow scammers to deceive the public with fake identities and false promises. This Government is committed to tackling fraud.
“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.
“We’re stepping up our defences to protect victims and make sure the UK is the hardest place in the world for scammers to operate.”
Lord Hanson told the PA news agency that the Government will be prepared to hold the telecoms companies to account and “potentially legislate to make these things happen”.
“I can probably praise and shame accordingly, but I want to look at this in a positive way,” he told PA.
The minister also pointed to a range of measures which are expected to target other sectors, including social media platforms, in the Government’s new fraud strategy which is set to be published in January.
“I think it’s important that we look at wherever fraud is emanating from.
“I know that 44% of crime is fraud-related, and a significant amount is undertaken via platforms and therefore we need to look at how we improve the performance of those platforms.
“I want to have a good relationship with social media companies.”
The measures form part of the new Telecoms Charter, which brings together government and mobile networks to crack down on scam calls.
Signatories include BT EE, Virgin Media O2, VodafoneThree, Tesco Mobile, Talk Talk, Sky and Comms Council UK (CCUK).
The pact follows recent action by the UK Government, in partnership with the US, to disrupt major online fraud networks with targeted sanctions on scam centres in south-east Asia.
Brian Webb, chairman of the Communications Crime Strategy Group, said: “The actions that we have committed to will deliver real change – from expanding trusted data sharing and enhancing call security, to using artificial intelligence responsibly, and supporting victims with compassion and speed.
“Together, these commitments form a promise: that the telecoms industry will play its full part in tackling the fraud epidemic that the UK faces.”
Mr Webb, who is also the chief security officer for BT, said the mobile networks were making “huge investments” into measures to combat scams.
This includes developing newer technology such as call listening services which can inform providers about fraud taking place through their network.
He also said firms were increasingly sharing data with tech giants including Meta and Google in a more collaborative approach to tracking down fraudsters.
He said that people answering fewer phone calls over worries about scammers was ultimately damaging for providers as it means fewer people using their network.
