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Articles for Category Tag - Crime

Internet Danger Websites with Scam Ads and Malware

Ofcom UK probe Vonage and Voxbone after scammers misuse phone numbers

24th September, 2026 (7 Comments)

The UK telecoms and media regulator, Ofcom, has today opened two separate investigations into cloud and VoIP phone providers Vonage (Vonage Business Limited) and Voxbone SA – here and here, which centres on a concern that telephone numbers held by the companies are being “misused, including to perpetrate scams“.

Email users of broadband ISP BT suffer barrage of password reset messages UPDATE

16th September, 2026 (7 Comments)

Some customers of BT’s UK broadband packages, specifically those that also make use of their included Email platform, have recently begun complaining about receiving hundreds of unsolicited password reset messages (sometimes as many as 1,000 TXTs) – each containing a onetime four digit PIN code to verify their BTInternet mail account.

phone_voip_and_handset by 123RF ID 70258122

Comms Council UK publish data-sharing guidance for tackling telephone fraud

16th September, 2026 (1 Comment)

The Comms Council UK, which represents the national Unified Communications and Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) phone industry, has this morning published its data-sharing guidance – produced with support from the Home Office, Ofcom, and Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) – for tackling telephone-enabled fraud (e.g. scam calls and messages).

Doorstep seller hand knocking on UK door by Copilot for MJackson 20260904

Warning over fake “government” doorstep broadband sellers in Norfolk UK

4th September, 2026 (1 Comment)

The Norfolk County Council‘s (NCC) Trading Standards department has issued a new “Cold Calling Alert” that warns local people to be on the lookout after several cases of fake doorstep sellers trying to peddle broadband services were reported in the region.

Lancashire Man Sent to Prison for Operating Rogue UK Cell Phone Tower

3rd September, 2026 (10 Comments)

The City of London Police (CLP) have revealed that Mohammed Faiyaz Iqbal (43) of Preston in Lancashire has been sentenced to more than 3 years and 8 months in prison for setting up a rogue cell phone tower, which was then used to bypass mobile network security protocols in order to send masses of fraudulent texts (aka – SMS Blaster).

Openreach damaged copper and fibre cables

Vandals Attack Openreach’s Broadband Network in Bedminster and Chippenham

26th August, 2026 (9 Comments)

National network operator Openreach has revealed that their UK broadband and phone network suffered “malicious damage” across two separate incidents in Bedminster (District of Bristol) and Chippenham (Wiltshire) on Monday. This disrupted connectivity to local homes and businesses in the area.

Copper Cable Thieves Knock Out Broadband Near St Neots for a Third Time

7th August, 2026 (4 Comments)

A criminal gang has, for a third time since the start of last year (see here and here), this week disrupted Openreach’s broadband services around part of the Cambridgeshire (England) town of St Neots by stealing 500 metres worth of the UK network operator’s local copper telecoms cables.

Error message concept. Alert, attention notification. Important reminder

Ofcom Rejected More Effective Method of Blocking UK Messaging Scams

17th July, 2026 (3 Comments)

Earlier this week Ofcom introduced new measures to help UK mobile operators “block, limit and disrupt scammers” from sending messaging scams (here). The changes, while positive, overlooked the fact that the regulator ended up rejecting an already adopted (in other countries) and UK developed fix that would have been more effective, partly due to BT and others complaining that it would be too “onerous“.

Cifas Joins Global Signal Exchange to Help UK Telecoms Providers Tackle Scams

16th July, 2026 (0 Comments)

The UK’s fraud prevention service, Cifas, which is home to over 775 members including major telecoms providers such as Virgin Media and O2 (VMO2), BT, Sky Broadband and more, has joined the Global Signal Exchange (GSE) to “strengthen the global fight against” online scams by collaborating to identify, disrupt, and prevent online scams at scale across borders and sectors.

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

15th July, 2026 (0 Comments)

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.

Ofcom Introduce New UK Rules to Tackle Mobile Messaging Scams UPDATE

15th July, 2026 (7 Comments)

The UK internet content, telecoms and media regulator, Ofcom, has this morning published a “comprehensive package of practical measures” to help UK mobile network operators “block, limit and disrupt scammers” from sending messaging scams. In addition, they’ve strengthened rules to help protect people from international calls that imitate – or “spoof” – UK mobile numbers.

VodafoneThree Sign Outside UK Office Building in June 2025

VodafoneThree Blocks over 2 Million UK Banking Sector Fraud Attempts

6th July, 2026 (1 Comment)

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.

O2 UK Warns Mobile Customers Over New Inactive SIM Scam

30th June, 2026 (2 Comments)

Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) has warned customers that fraudsters are using a “new” phishing tactic to steal their private personal and security details (i.e. granting them access to their MyO2 accounts), which involves criminals posing as the telecoms company while claiming that the customers’ SIM cards are about to expire.

Serious Fraud Office Investigates Internet Mobile Communications Ltd

23rd June, 2026 (1 Comment)

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has announced that they’re investigating a UK-based telecoms services provider called Internet Mobile Communications Limited (aka – Bank of Telecom) over allegations of “suspected fraud, false accounting, and money laundering“. The company collapsed into administration back in June 2024.

Openreach, Crimestoppers and EMR to Tackle UK Copper Broadband Cable Theft

21st May, 2026 (6 Comments)

Network operator Openreach (BT) and existing charity partner Crimestoppers have today announced that they’ve joined forces with a global leader in metal recycling, EMR, to help combat the rising tide of copper telecoms cable theft on their national broadband and phone network. Total Metal Theft is said to have costed the UK economy £4.3bn in the past decade.

mobile wireless signal disconnected uk by 123rf

Ofcom Prep New UK Telecoms Security Reporting Rules for Mobile Networks

12th May, 2026 (0 Comments)

The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today proposed changes to “improve the consistency of security compromise incident reporting” (i.e. when broadband or mobile networks are disrupted by cyberattacks). The changes will, for example, change how outages are reported for mobile networks in rural areas, which recognises that outages in urban and rural areas affect users differently.

Three Copper Broadband Cable Thieves in Birmingham Jailed for 3 Years

2nd May, 2026 (7 Comments)

At the start of 2026 we reported on how West Midlands Police had arrested a gang of three men who were in the process of trying to steal Openreach’s (BT) copper UK broadband and phone cables – worth £50k – from an underground site in central Birmingham (here). Yesterday the Birmingham Crown Court jailed each one for 3 years.