EE TAKES A STAND AGAINST SCAMMERS WITH LATEST INTERNATIONAL CALL-BLOCKING TECHNOLOGY

• 11 million scam calls have so far been blocked for EE, BT and Plusnet customers, and the entire UK phone home network since July 
• New upgraded network capability blocks international scam calls purporting to be from UK numbers
• Latest tech strengthens anti-spam filter that has now blocked over 200 million scam texts 

London, 18 August 2022: Continuing its mission to keep customers safe, EE has launched upgraded technology which is blocking up to one million international scam calls a day and 11 million since its inception in July 2022.

Every year tens of millions of scam calls target people in the UK. Many scam calls that reach UK consumers come from international locations posing to be from UK-based numbers for legitimacy. They are often run by international scam networks for the purposes of fraudulently acquiring personal information, access to devices and, in some cases, bank details from the customer.

The firewall technology from EE uses AI to review calls passing through UK Calling Line Identification (CLI) from other countries and blocks those pretending to be based in the UK, halting scam calls so that they never reach customers.

This technology benefits every BT, Plusnet and EE customer but also benefits customers on other networks by detecting all inbound calls from international locations using UK numbers and stopping them from being further forwarded to other networks.

EE has been at the forefront of the fight against scammers having launched its text anti-spam filter last year. The text filter has blocked 200 million scam texts since its launch last year, 50 million more than predicted last July.

The latest call blocking technology is a further example of EE’s commitment to protect its customers and provide the best customer service possible, and is so far the only provider actively blocking scam calls from reaching networks other than its own.

Chris Howe, Customer Care Change Director said: “We are investing in the latest technology to ensure as many scam calls as possible are blocked before they reach our customers. Everyone should feel confident answering their phone or reading a text message without the fear of potentially getting scammed.

“This new international call blocking technology, combined with the 200 million scam texts blocked from our mobile network, means our customers can count on EE to have the safest network”. 

EE’s top tips to avoid scams:

• Remember:
  • Take a moment to stop and think and trust your instincts. If it sounds too good to be true or is suspicious, there’s probably a catch
  • Don’t stay on the phone unless you’re 100% sure the caller is genuine
  • Don’t give away any of your personal details or give anyone access to your computer – if you think you might have provided your bank account details, contact your bank immediately
• What to do if you receive a suspicious call:
  • Text the phone number and incident to 7726, free of charge, so your mobile phone provider can investigate
  • Block numbers after reporting them
  • Make others aware of these types of calls and the numbers they are coming from, so they are also in the know

As new call and text scams continue to develop, EE is working as part of a cross-industry alliance against scams, with Ofcom, ICO, National Cyber Security Centre and other mobile providers. EE works in collaboration to share data and intelligence to beat the scammers, to compliment the cross-industry reporting service 7726.

Notes to editors:

• Advice and what to do information found here: https://ee.co.uk/help/help-new/safety-and-security/online-security-best-practice/avoid-and-prevent-scams

ENDS