{"id":39604,"date":"2024-10-03T09:45:42","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T08:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/?p=39604"},"modified":"2024-10-03T09:48:54","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T08:48:54","slug":"bt-block-20-1-million-scam-and-spams-from-reaching-uk-home-phones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/10\/bt-block-20-1-million-scam-and-spams-from-reaching-uk-home-phones.html","title":{"rendered":"BT Block 20.1 Million SCAM and SPAMs from Reaching UK Home Phones"},"content":{"rendered":"

Broadband ISP BT<\/a> (EE<\/a>) has this morning announced that their new scam protection service, which is based on Hiya’s technology and was introduced to their\u202fIP-based Digital Voice (phone)\u202fcustomers in May 2024, has blocked more than 2.4 million scam calls and almost 17.7 million spam calls since its introduction.<\/p>\n

The ‘Enhanced Call Protect<\/em>‘ feature, which is a free service, follows BT<\/a> and EE<\/a>’s decision to start adopting Hiya\u2019s AI-based voice security solutions in January 2023 (here<\/a>). The tool in question monitors incoming calls and will notify the user of any suspected spam calls. But it also adopts machine learning to improve its scam detection and protection to help tackle the malicious calls it encounters \u2013 in one day blocking more than 46,500 scam calls.<\/p>\n

NOTE:<\/strong> Some 2.5 million of BT<\/a>’s customers use their Digital Voice service. This figure is set to double as more customers upgrade to digital landlines, and BT expects to block more than 1.5 million scam calls monthly once all customers have migrated.<\/div>\n

According to data from Hiya, UK residents received an average of 3 spam calls per month from January to June this year, with 28% of all unknown calls flagged as spam. This equates to approximately 195 million spam calls per month.<\/p>\n

However, with BT’s service, customers will see a visual warning on their landline phone display, saying, \u201cNuisance?<\/em>\u201d, when receiving a potential spam call. They then have a choice to reject or accept an inbound call that is flagged as a spam call. Scam calls are automatically diverted to a customer\u2019s junk voicemail, protecting them from the threat of scammers. Any call from a registered business will have their name displayed to verify it as genuine.<\/p>\n

Lucy Baker MBE, BT Consumer\u2019s All-IP Director, said:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOur top priority is ensuring our customers feel secure and confident when using our services. This new Hiya technology is now integrated with Digital Voice and is proving to be incredibly effective at stopping scam calls. We remain committed to protecting customers during the switch to digital landlines.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

BT has also included some tips to help consumers spot and tackle scam calls.<\/p>\n

Tips to avoid scams include:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n