VodafoneThree Blocks over 2 Million UK Banking Sector Fraud Attempts

Mobile and broadband operator VodafoneThree (Vodafone and Three UK) has today announced that a new collaboration with the banking sector has helped to block more than 2 million fraud attempts since August 2025. The trial is said to have resulted in a 25% increase in banking scam messages being blocked on the mobile giant’s UK network.

In short, the operator initially began working with Barclays, the Mobile Ecosystem Forum and the Cyber Defence Alliance on a new trial process (Proof of Concept), which was intended to help block fraudulent SMS (text) messages before they reached banking customers while ensuring legitimate bank communications still get through.

The new process saw the partners help to build bespoke rules into VodafoneThree’s existing SMS firewall. This intelligence can differentiate between fraudulent SMS content and legitimate communications from banks to their customers. The trial has since expanded to include The Co-operative Bank, now part of the Coventry Building Society, and TSB.

Recent malicious SMS messages focus on impersonating banks and asking customers to share their personal or financial information urgently via scam phone numbers or phishing links included in the messages.

Rachel Andrews, Director of Corporate Security and Fraud, VodafoneThree, said:

“Preventing fraud on our network and protecting trust in the UK’s digital economy is a huge priority. With fraud now accounting for 44% of all crime[3], no single organisation can tackle it alone. We’re working closely with banks, government, law enforcement, and industry partners to stay ahead, evolving our capabilities as quickly as fraudsters change their tactics. What’s clear is that we need to innovate as well, scaling new solutions like this is crucial in making the UK one of the toughest places in the world for fraudsters to operate.”

Customers and members of the public should always try to report any suspicious messages or voice calls to the industry’s dedicated 7726 SPAM reporting link, either by clicking on the SPAM icon or forwarding to 7726 at no extra cost. VodafoneThree’s existing scam prevention tools blocked 139+ million fraudulent SMS in 2025 alone.