Virgin Media O2 reveals the most common spam texts blocked on its network

• ‘Hi Mum/Hi Dad’, fake delivery and bank payment text messages top the list of most common fraud texts blocked on Virgin Media O2’s network in March.
• The company’s firewall technology, which is constantly adapting to new scams, has prevented tens of millions of texts from reaching customers in 2023 alone.
• The telecoms company is urging customers to forward suspicious texts to 7726 to protect themselves and others from fraudsters.

After analysing and blocking tens of millions of malicious and fraudulent text messages targeting its customers, Virgin Media O2 has today shared the most common spam text trends to help warn customers what to look out for and avoid.

The company’s firewall technology, which uses machine learning to identify new spam attempts, has detected and prevented hundreds of variations of text messages from reaching customers as well as blocking fraudster’s mobile numbers to stop customers being targeted again.

With the top five types of scam texts accounting for more than 95% of all scam messages blocked on Virgin Media O2’s network, the operator is warning customers to pay particular attention and watch out for these frequently sent frauds.

In March, messages from fraudsters posing as someone contacting their mum or dad from an unknown number, widely known as ‘Hi Mum / Hi Dad’ spam texts, was the most common scam message blocked by the network.   This sees scammers claiming to be using a new or friend’s mobile number because their phone is smashed, lost or stolen.

This was followed by fake package delivery texts, where fraudsters purported to be from some of the UK’s biggest delivery companies and tried to get customers to visit a scam website to rearrange, add more detail or pay for a ‘delivery’ in the hope of gaining customer bank details.

Sham failed bank or payment notifications were also common. This is where fraudsters send texts purporting to be from their bank and claiming there is an issue with a payment, an account has been accessed or a new payee had been set up.

Rounding off the top five most common blocked scams are cryptocurrency and investment scams, where fraudsters claim people can make significant returns if they visit a website or join a phishing social networking group and dodgy debt write-off texts, where fraudsters claim individuals could write-off bills if they visit a fake government website.

How to report scam texts

Whilst millions of texts and numbers have already been blocked, with scammers constantly evolving their methods and looking for new ways to gain personal information from customers, Virgin Media O2 is urging all mobile customers to report suspicious texts for free by forwarding them on to 7726.

By forwarding on scam texts, customers can protect themselves and others from fraud. The telecoms company is not only able to investigate and block the mobile numbers used by fraudsters, but also use the scam texts to help support improvements to its firewall technology in future, making it easier for new trends to be identified and shut down faster.

Liam Rawsthorne, Head of Fraud at Virgin Media O2 said: “We’re working relentlessly to stop fraudsters in their tracks, helping keep our customers safer by blocking millions of spam texts and calls every month.

“The five most common texts blocked on our network show just how sophisticated scammers are, with these criminals always looking for new ways to reach their victim by posing as the people and businesses we trust.

“Taking the time to stop and think before calling back or clicking through can make all the difference and, by forwarding on scam texts to 7726 for free, you can help spot new trends and tricks, so we can build even stronger defences.”

Last year, Virgin Media O2 prevented more than £70 million worth of fraud, including through introducing additional security measures to stop online scammers conning victims out of high-end handsets.

Notes to Eds

Http:// has been changed to hxxp in order to ensure links to fraudulent sites are inoperative.