Scam calls and texts are not just a headache for individuals. They cost businesses time, money and customer trust too. Fraudsters increasingly copy real companies to make their scams look convincing. On 15 July, Ofcom published a fresh package of rules to stop these scams before they reach the phone. Here is what has changed, and how you can protect your business from scam calls and texts going forward.
Why Ofcom has stepped in
Fraud is now behind an estimated 45% of all reported crime in England and Wales. Last year alone, criminals took £1.28 billion from victims across the UK. That is according to Ofcom's own research.
The same research found that two in five UK mobile users had received at least one suspicious message in the past three months. Mobile networks already block upwards of 600 million scam messages a year between them. Even so, Ofcom wants a more consistent standard applied right across the industry. You can read the full announcement on the Ofcom website.
What is changing for calls and texts
Mobile providers must now gather intelligence on scam numbers and weblinks from customers and anti-fraud organisations. They then use this to block those numbers and stop scam messages while they are moving across the network. Pay-as-you-go SIM cards will also carry volume limits, so it becomes harder for criminals to send mass scam texts in bulk.
Separately, providers must tackle a common trick used by criminals abroad. If an international call displays a UK mobile number as though the owner were roaming, providers will now hide the caller ID. They will only show it once the number's validity has been confirmed.
A new focus on business messaging fraud
Some of the toughest new checks apply to business text messages themselves. Providers must properly verify who is sending bulk messages. They must also confirm that the sender name a customer sees, known as the Alphanumeric Sender ID, genuinely belongs to that business.
This matters if your business sends appointment reminders, delivery updates or payment links by text. These are exactly the kind of messages criminals like to copy.
How to keep your business protected
These changes should help, but no set of industry rules removes the need for good habits in your own business. A modern business phone system gives you far more control over how calls reach your team. Features like call screening and detailed call logs can flag anything unusual.
The same thinking applies to business mobiles, especially if staff handle calls or texts on the move. It is also worth pairing this with the everyday cyber security habits we covered previously. These habits catch much of what slips past industry-level safeguards.
If your business is planning its move away from analogue lines, our guide to the 2027 landline switch off is worth a read too. Digital systems bring many of these protections in as standard.
If you would like a hand reviewing how your business handles calls or texts, get in touch with the Excel Communications team. We will talk you through your options. You can also protect your business from scam calls today by reporting anything suspicious to 7726, free of charge, straight to your provider.
