Fraud remains one of the fastest-growing financial and security challenges facing the UK. With criminal networks increasingly using artificial intelligence to create highly convincing phishing campaigns, fake websites, deepfake calls, and spoofed SMS messages at scale, fraud recorded by the National Fraud Database reached an all-time high of over 444,000 cases in 2025.

As the first line of defence across Britain's digital infrastructure, Mobile UK’s member operators—EE, VodafoneThree, and Virgin Media O2,are continuing to invest heavily in network-level technology, real-time AI controls, and consumer intelligence tools to protect millions of customers from cyber threats.

Here is an overview of the latest initiatives launched by Mobile UK members to detect, block, and educate the public against evolving mobile fraud.

1. EE: Multi-Layered AI Protection and Scam Verification

Building on existing network filtering that has blocked over 169 million scam attempts since 2024, EE has introduced an upgraded Scam Guard service featuring AI Triple-Lock Protection, Scam Assistant, Mobile Device Security and Dark Web Monitoring to give customers peace of mind against today's increasingly sophisticated scam landscape.

AI Triple-Lock Protection: Uses machine learning models to provide 24/7 proactive scanning across three core attack vectors:

- Safe Email: Detects and flags malicious inbox messages before they are opened. ‍

- Safe SMS: Scans incoming text messages in real time for suspicious links and spoofed sender profiles.

- Safe Web: Automatically blocks access to known or suspected phishing websites while browsing or shopping online.

Scam Assistant: An interactive verification tool allowing users to upload screenshots of suspicious texts, emails, social media messages, or QR codes for instant safety assessments.

Call Labelling: Delivers automatic, network-level screening of every incoming call, giving customers the information they need before they pick up.

Monitoring and security: Social media and dark web monitoring watch for suspicious activity across a customer's online footprint, sending quick notifications so they can take action without delay. Mobile Device Security provides real-time protection against ransomware, viruses and other online threats, automatically blocking dangerous attachments before they can cause damage.  

2. VodafoneThree: Network-Level AI Scam Call Screening

To stop telephone fraud before a phone even rings, VodafoneThree has launched Scam Call Protection, which uses AI to identify and flag potentially fraudulent, spam, scam and nuisance calls to its mobile customers before they pick up.

Working automatically in the background and built directly into the Vodafone network, the feature analyses incoming calls in real time, spotting suspicious behaviour and flagging high‑risk numbers to the customer.

• Real‑time detection: Round–the–clock monitoring analyses incoming calls and identifies potential spam or nuisance callers.  

• Automatic flagging: Known scam numbers are flagged directly to the customer.  

• Clear notifications: If a call looks suspicious, customers receive an on‑screen alert explaining the call type, helping them decide whether to answer or decline.

• No action needed: Secure Net customers immediately benefit from Scam Call Protection, which will automatically work in the background.

3. Virgin Media O2: National Fraud Tracking with the Scam Index

Virgin Media O2 has launched a quarterly Scam Index, combining nationwide network telemetry with consumer survey data (polling 2,000 UK adults) to quantify the UK’s current fraud risk.

Key findings from the Q2 2026 Index demonstrate the scale and financial impact of modern scams:

• Elevated Threat Level: The national risk score sits at 6.2 out of 10 ("High Risk"), with 36% of UK adults encountering a scam within the last quarter and victims losing an average of £1,852 per incident.

• Top Scam Vectors:

• Delivery Scams (63% exposure): Fake parcel redelivery texts (e.g., impersonating postal or courier services).

• Online Shopping Fraud (58%): Unsolicited order confirmations or fraudulent e-commerce storefronts.

• Account Suspension Alerts (56%): Fake urgency messages claiming accounts (streaming, cloud, tech) will be locked.

• Banking and Finance Scams (49%): Impersonation of financial institutions requesting immediate detail verification.

Alongside publishing these insights to help the public spot emerging tactics, Virgin Media O2’s smart network technology and real time monitoring filters blocked 16.8 million scam texts and flagged 259 million suspicious calls in the second quarter of 2026 alone bringing their total lifetime blocks to over 1.4 billion texts and 1.3 billion calls.

The Collective Industry Push: Protecting UK Mobile Users

The initiatives rolled out across EE, Vodafone, and Virgin Media O2 reflect a broader commitment by the UK mobile sector to stay ahead of increasingly organised cybercrime networks. By combining automated network-level blocking, AI analysis, dark web monitoring, and open data sharing, mobile operators are building a stronger, multi-tiered defence system for the UK public.

How Consumers Can Support Industry Protections

While mobile networks block millions of threats daily before they reach handsets, public participation remains essential in intelligence gathering:

1. Report Scam Texts: Forward any suspicious text message free of charge to 7726 (which spells SPAM on a keypad). This reports the message to your network provider so the originating number and links can be investigated and blocked across the wider ecosystem.

2. Report Scam Calls: Suspicious or nuisance calls can also be reported by texting 'Call' followed by the phone number to 7726.

3. Verify Before Acting: Never click links in unexpected texts or emails and never share financial credentials or OTP (one-time passcode) security codes over the phone.

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