A significant anti-fraud initiative has been unveiled to expose scammers using deceptive phone numbers.

Government officials have made a commitment to eradicate the practice of “spoofing,” where international calls are disguised as local calls, within a year. Utilizing AI technology, these fraudsters will be identified before they can reach potential targets.

Major telecommunications companies in the UK have partnered with the government to address this issue. Lord Hanson, the Minister for Fraud, emphasized the dangers of spoofed calls, enabling scammers to deceive the public through false identities and promises.

Lord Hanson stated, “Our government is dedicated to combating fraud. Through a significant enhancement of our mobile network infrastructure, call spoofing will be eradicated within a year, removing scammers’ tools to defraud individuals of their money.

“We are strengthening our defenses to safeguard victims and ensure that the UK becomes the most challenging environment for scammers worldwide to operate in.”

Telecom operators have agreed to enhance data sharing with law enforcement agencies, and advanced call tracing technologies will be implemented across all networks.

Key signatories of the new Telecoms Charter include BT EE, Virgin Media O2, VodafoneThree, Tesco Mobile, Talk Talk, Sky, and Comms Council UK (CCUK).

Research indicates that three-quarters of UK residents are unlikely to answer calls from unfamiliar international numbers.

Brian Webb, chair of the Communications Crime Strategy Group, affirmed the commitment to enact meaningful changes, including expanding trusted data sharing, enhancing call security, responsibly employing AI, and providing swift and compassionate support to victims.

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