O2 UK Deploying Free AI-Powered Scam Call Detector Service

Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today expanded upon their existing partnership with Hiya by integrating the company’s AI-powered scam detection service to help combat fraud and nuisance calls, which sees them claiming to be the “first and only UK mobile operator to provide this service to customers at no extra cost“.

The news isn’t all that surprising because VMO2 announced, in February 2024, that they’d become the second major UK telecoms provider, after BT (EE), to adopt Hiya’s AI-based technologies for call filtering and management (here). As part of this they’ve launched the related Brand ID service (here) and have now complemented that by introducing scam call detection.

The new service, known as Call Defence, claims to use Adaptive AI to analyse call number behaviour in real-time and determine whether it could be a scam or spam call. Customers are then alerted to any risk before picking up, helping them to decide whether they want to answer or not.

The new technology is currently being “rolled out” to O2 customers on Pay Monthly Custom Plans, Pay Monthly SIM Only plans and O2 Business customers (sadly there’s no mention of PAYG / Prepaid) – usable by both Android users and Apple (iPhone) customers on the latest iOS 18 software or above.

Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud at VMO2, said:

“Our AI-powered scam and spam call detection tool is the latest layer of defence we’re rolling out to help protect our customers from fraudsters.

We’re the first and only UK provider to give customers this innovative new tool for free, which will monitor call behaviour to provide customers greater clarity on who is calling and why, constantly adapting to help keep one step ahead of scammers.

Whether we’re blocking calls and texts from fraudsters or rolling out Caller ID for trusted businesses, we’re working hard to stop scammers in their tracks. But with fraudsters forever evolving their tactics, customers can help us stay one step ahead by reporting suspected scam calls and texts to 7726.”

The mobile operator notes that scammers frequently call consumers claiming to be from trusted UK businesses in the hope of catching Brits off guard and gaining personal or financial information, which they can then use to defraud them. In the UK, Hiya says 16% of consumers fell victim to phone scams last year, losing an average of £798 each, while O2’s own research notes that 22% have been targeted by scammers at least weekly in the past year. O2 currently blocks tens of millions of calls and messages from ever reaching its customer’s phones each year.