Virgin Media O2 Publish First Quarterly Scam Index to Track UK Scam Calls and Texts

Broadband and mobile operator VMO2 (Virgin Media and O2) have today decided to complement Ofcom’s new anti-scam rules for telecoms providers (here) by publishing their first quarterly Scam Index, which among other things reveals that more than 18.5 million adults in the UK have been targeted by scammers in just three months.

The new index is intended to bring together VMO2’s internal data alongside consumer research to track how frequently people are targeted, how vulnerable they feel, the impact on victims and whether threats are escalating to provide a “complete and up-to-date picture of how criminals are operating“. But the operator’s first summary only seems to offer a very limited high-level overview.

According to the results, VMO2 has blocked more than 1.4 billion scam texts to date and is flagging almost 100 million suspicious calls to customers each month before they even answer the phone. In June 2026, the operator flagged more suspicious calls than at any point in its history, warning the public to stay alert.

Meanwhile, some 36% of survey respondents say they see at least one scam every week, while 19% have been informed their personal information has appeared in a data breach and 33% of those who lost money to scams were left out of pocket, with the average loss reported by victims being over £1,800.

The most common scam trends seen were fake delivery messages (63%), online shopping scams (58%) and fake account suspension messages (56%), showing how scammers use believable requests, realistic websites and urgency to trick victims.

Top 10 Scams – April to June 2026

1. Delivery Scams: Fake Royal Mail / DPD / Evri texts about held parcels, redelivery fees, or tracking updates. (63%)
2. Online Shopping Scams: Messages about an order you haven’t placed or fake websites where paid-for items never arrive (58%)
3. Account Suspension Scams: Claims your Apple, Microsoft, PayPal, Netflix, Amazon, or social media account will be locked unless you verify details. (56%)
4. Banking / Finance Scams: Fake messages claiming to be from your bank or payment provider about suspicious activity or account verification. (49%)
5. Tech Support Scams: Messages or calls claiming your device is infected or account compromised, urging you to call support or install software. (48%)
6. Prize / Lottery scams: “You’ve won!” messages for competitions you never entered, often requesting fees or personal information. (47%)
7. Government / HMRC scams: Fake tax refunds, grants, fines, National Insurance problems, or legal threats claiming to be from HMRC or other government departments. (46%)
8. Telecoms Scams: Fake alerts from O2, EE, Vodafone, etc., about bill issues, SIM swaps, or upgrades. (43%)
9. Friends / Family Impersonation Scams: Fake profiles, mobile numbers or hacked accounts pretending to be family, friends, colleagues, or verified accounts requesting money or codes. (33%)
10. Investment / Crypto Scams: Get-rich‑quick schemes, fake trading platforms, crypto doubling, or bogus celebrity endorsements. (33%)

The operator is once again encouraging consumers to remain vigilant and to report suspicious messages to the 7726 service (many modern Smartphones will have a button to help you do this). These reports are used by the telecoms companies to investigate and block mobile numbers used by fraudsters, so help to refine their blocking services. This makes it easier to identify new trends and block messages faster.