Scam Index

Scams are evolving fast – with Brits targeted in new ways every day.
Our Scam Index shows the UK’s fraud risk right now, bringing together the latest scam trends to help people spot the signs and swerve the scammers.

U.K. Overview

High Risk
Virgin Media O2’s Scam Index
6.2
Category Scores (1 = moderate risk, 10 = significantly high risk)
Exposure
7.8
Impact
6.2
Escalation
5.6
Vulnerability
5.0
How its calculated ?

The Scam Index tracks the level and impact of scam activity using a combination of nationally representative polling (2,000 Brits) and Virgin Media O2’s own network data on a quarterly basis.

All data is carefully validated, anonymised and analysed to ensure accuracy and reliability. We then apply a consistent scoring approach, considering factors such as the volume of scams, potential harm and emerging trends.

Q2 2026 (Apr-Jun)
Hover and click over a region to view details

Top 10 Scam Trends in U.K.

Rank
Type of scam
Percentage of people who
have seen the scam
Trend (QoQ)
1
Delivery Scam
63%
0

Fake Royal Mail / DPD / Evri texts about held parcels, redelivery fees, or tracking updates.

View Example →
2
Online Shopping Scam
58%
↑ 1

Messages about an order you haven’t placed or if you order something online from a website that never shows up

View Example →
3
Account Suspension Scam
56%
↓ 1

Claims your Apple, Microsoft, PayPal, Netflix, Amazon, or social media account will be locked unless you verify details.

View Example →
4
Banking / Finance scam
49%
↑ 4

Fake messages claiming to be from your bank or payment provider about suspicious activity or account verification.

View Example →
5
Tech Support Scam
48%
↑ 1

Messages or calls claiming your device is infected or account compromised, urging you to call support or install software.

View Example →
6
Prize / Lottery scam
47%
0

“You’ve won!” messages for competitions you never entered, often requesting fees or personal information.

View Example →
7
Government / HMRC scam
46%
0

Government / HMRC Scam – Fake tax refunds, grants, fines, National Insurance problems, or legal threats claiming to be from HMRC or other government departments.

View Example →
8
Telecoms Scam
43%
↓ 3

Fake alerts from O2, EE, Vodafone, etc., about bill issues, SIM swaps, or upgrades.

View Example →
9
Friends / family inpersonation scam
33%
0

Fake profiles, mobile numbers or hacked accounts pretending to be family, friends, colleagues, or verified accounts requesting money or codes.

View Example →
10
Investment / Crypto Scam
33%
↓ 2

Get rich‑quick schemes, fake trading platforms, crypto doubling, or bogus celebrity endorsements.

View Example →

How fraud impacted Britain in the last 3 months

36%
Brits seen a scam in the last quarter
21%
Brits scammed or know someone who has
£1,852
Amount lost on average by victims

Compared to a year ago

Key insights into attitudes, experiences and losses related to scams.

40%
of brits have seen more scams
33%
are more worried about scams
63%
believe AI is making scams more dangerous

How we’ve kept Brits safe in the last 3 months

At Virgin Media O2, we use smart technology and real-time monitoring to stop scams before they reach you. Here’s the impact we’ve made together.

16.8m
texts blocked
1.4B texts to date
259m
calls flagged
1.3B calls to date

Customers on any UK network can help play their part by reporting scam texts and calls to 7726. These reports enable us to investigate and block mobile numbers used by fraudsters and refine our blocking services, making it easier to identify new trends faster in future.

Swerve the Scammers

Visit O2’s help pages for the latest advice on how to deal with calls and texts from scammers and tools so you can stay safe from fraud.

Find out more
Journalists can contact the Virgin Media O2 press office on:
press@virginmediao2.co.uk 01753 565656
Virgin Media
press enquiries
press@virginmedia.co.uk
O2
press enquiries
pressoffice@o2.com