Almost 45 million people were targeted by scam calls and texts last summer, as criminals become increasingly sophisticated in their methods.

And over the course of the pandemic, they’ve exploited people’s vulnerabilities, such as texting fraudulent Covid vaccination links and impersonating delivery companies.

The communications regulator, Ofcom, has announced new plans to stop scammers from using fake numbers and accessing real ones, though it admits “there is no single solution that will stamp them out”.

As part of its crackdown on number spoofing – where phone numbers imitate legitimate organisations such as banks and government departments – all telephone networks will be expected to block those that are “clearly spoofed”.

Ofcom said tell-tale signs include calls originating from abroad that don’t have a valid caller ID, numbers that don’t meet the UK’s 10- or 11-digit format and those that appear from numbers already on its Do Not Originate list.

TalkTalk already blocks such calls from abroad that use a UK number and said it’s seen a 65% fall in scam call complaints.

The regulator is also taking steps to prevent scammers accessing valid phone numbers. It allocates millions of numbers to telecoms companies, usually in large blocks which are then given to businesses and customers.

Ofcom said it expects all phone companies to take “reasonable steps to stop their numbers being misused”. Companies should run ‘know your customer’ checks on business accounts, such as by checking the Companies House register, fraud risk databases and the FCA’s Financial Services Register. Once identified, they should be suspended and reported to law enforcement.

Further, for calls originating in the UK, networks should authenticate the caller’s ID before connecting them.

‘Devastating consequences for victims’

Huw Saunders, Ofcom’s director of network infrastructure and resilience, said: “The threat posed by scammers has grown significantly in recent years, and the sophisticated tactics used by these criminals can have devastating consequences for victims.

“We’re taking action so phone companies have stronger systems in place to disrupt scams. While there is no silver bullet that will end the scourge of scam calls completely, we’re working with industry on how we can use technology to make it as difficult as possible to reach people.”

Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, said: “It is positive news to see Ofcom has committed to working with telecoms providers to reduce the number of suspicious texts and calls that we receive.

“Scammers are constantly using advanced technology to help bypass measures that phone companies take to tackle the issues, so it’s important that the regulator is working with providers to get ahead of these criminals.

“Ofcom must ensure that any efforts to stop the scourge of nuisance calls also focus on landline phones, as our own research found that scammers now represent more than a quarter of all calls to our landlines.

If you receive a scam call or text, you can report them to your network operator or forward them to the ‘7726’ service. Landline customers can also register with the Telephone Preference Service to cut down on telemarketing calls.

“Never give out personal details on the phone unless you are sure that the caller is legitimate. If you do suspect it is a scam, hang up immediately, check if it’s a genuine call by contacting an official number from the company that supposedly called and report it to Action Fraud if it’s not,” Doku added.