In collaboration with the Home Office, UK mobile network operators have worked together to produce advice for consumers on how to identify and avoid mobile provider impersonation fraud.
Key takeaways
- Mobile provider impersonation fraud is when criminals pretend to represent your mobile network, often through an unexpected call, text or email.
- Warning signs include pressure to act quickly, requests for passwords or one-time passcodes.
- If you are unsure whether contact is genuine, stop the conversation and contact your mobile provider using the phone number on its official website or app.
Mobile provider impersonation fraud is when criminals impersonate a mobile provider to try and steal a customer’s money or personal information,
To achieve this, fraudsters may contact customers unexpectedly by phone, text or email, requesting their email address, online account password or one-time passcode.
How to spot mobile provider impersonation fraud
While identifying mobile provider impersonation may not always be easy, there are a few signs to look out for.
Criminals will try and pressure customers into making a decision, offering limited time offers or claiming access to services will be lost if action is not taken quickly.
They may also:
- Ask you to share your online account password or one-time passcode.
- Request personal information that your mobile provider should already know, such as your name, email address, home address or bank and card details.
- Claim they are unable to place an order over the phone and ask you to do it online instead.
- Promise a lower price than the one which appears on screen or in your order confirmation email.
How to protect yourself from mobile impersonation fraud
If you receive a call or message claiming to be from your mobile provider, take a moment to stop and think whether the request is genuine before handing over personal information or money.
If in doubt, hang up or break contact immediately, then contact your mobile provider on the number provided through their official website or app.
Before clicking on links in search engine adverts, check that the URL matches the mobile provider’s official website address. And remember, your mobile operator will never:
- Ask you to share your online account password over the phone.
- Become impatient or discourage you if you want to hang up and call back on an official number.
- Ask you to share your mobile screen with them.
What to do if you have been a victim of mobile provider impersonation fraud
If you believe you have been a victim of mobile provider impersonation fraud, report it to your mobile provider immediately.
Your provider will investigate the case and, if confirmed as fraud, ensure that you aren’t left with an unpaid bill or debt on your account.
They will also advise if you need to take any further steps to protect yourself from future fraudulent activity.
Finally, report the fraud to your bank, and tell the police at Report Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, you can call Police Scotland on 101.
Find more information about fraud prevention on the Home Office website.
Frequently-asked questions
| How does VodafoneThree help prevent fraud on its network? | Our dedicated fraud team identifies and blocks potentially fraudulent content or calls, while monitoring trends so that, as scammers’ tactics change, so do ours. We also offer innovative products to protect customers and businesses, such as Secure Net, which provides protection against online threats like viruses, phishing and malicious websites. |
| How is VodafoneThree working with other organisations to tackle fraud? | VodafoneThree has led the charge on the development of industry-wide APIs such as the CAMARA Project (led by Vodafone Group) and Scam Signal, supporting sectors like banking in tackling fraud. We are also: an active contributor to the Government’s Fraud Strategy and Lord Hanson’s Telecommunications Fraud Charter; members of Stop Scams UK and the Internet Watch Foundation; and supporters of the Home Office’s ban on SIM farms, their ‘Stop! Think Fraud’ initiative, and Cifas. |
| What technology does VodafoneThree use to reduce the impact of fraud? | VodafoneThree uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to identify patterns, relationships and anomalies in behaviour on its networks that could be indicators of fraudulent activity. As a result of these proactive efforts, many scams can be stopped from reaching customers in close to real time, with fraud detection rates having risen by 44% since the adoption of AI for this task. |
