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Half Of Landline Calls From Scammers

Half of landline calls are scams

 

More than fifty percent of all calls to landlines are from scammers according to new research.

The study of 4,000 people, by research company Consumer Intelligence, found that only two thirds of British households have a landline,  with reports from users suggesting they receive more scam calls than genuine ones.

Data also revealed that only half of 18 to 29 year olds still had a landline, but almost 80 percent of over seventies own one – highlighting the generational differences in technology use.

The shocking research suggests that older people are at risk of being contacted by criminals who are using landline calls to find easy victims.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, told The Telegraph: “Landlines are a lifeline for millions of older customers, particularly those who are not online, don’t use a mobile, or live in a rural area with poor connectivity.”

Research carried out by the broadband provider BT found that its AI-powered blocking service, Hiya, had detected more than 17.7 million scam calls and blocked 2.4 million of them since it was introduced in May this year.

Lucy Baker, BT consumer’s all-IP director, said: “Our top priority is ensuring customers feel secure and confident when using our services.” 

However, there has been pressure from campaigners on big telecoms companies to go further to protect their users.

Fraud specialist Jonathan Frost, of Vox Veritas Vita, said: “Scam calls are a major part of the UK’s fraud problem, with more than half of respondents receiving at least one a week.

“There is clearly a need for the telecoms sector to step up their efforts to protect their customers.

David Hickson, from the Fair Telecoms Campaign, has argued that call-blocking may not be entirely effective at preventing fraud.

Instead, banks should make it clear that they would never make unexpected calls on landlines, so people can be aware of what a scam call may look like.

The country’s entire telephone network will be switched to a digital system by 2025, and all phone lines still in use will be turned off and replaced with broadband.

Read: How to avoid ‘tech help’ scams.

Have you lost money to a scam? Contact National Fraud Helpline. Call 0333 0033218 or fill out our Claim Form.