What is scam call blocking and what has O2 changed?
Scam call blocking means the network stops a suspected fraud call before your phone even rings. On 30 October 2026, O2 said it has switched this on for all its customers, free of charge, after a trial. The release does not say when the trial ran.
Until now the usual deal was a warning on screen and a split second to decide. Scammers have always relied on that ring being too tempting to ignore, so moving the decision from you to the network is a real shift.
This is O2’s announcement, and the figures below are O2’s own. We have read the release in full, and we flag where a claim is theirs rather than something independently checked.
Key takeaways
- O2 says suspected scam calls are now blocked before they reach customers, not just flagged.
- It is automatic and free for O2 customers on compatible devices, so there is nothing to switch on.
- O2 expects over 3 million calls a week to be blocked, based on its trial.
- Suspected spam calls are still flagged rather than blocked.
How does O2’s scam call blocking work?
O2’s scam call blocking is powered by Hiya, a voice security company, which watches the network for nuisance callers.
Customers do not need to download anything or change a setting. O2 says customers do not need to do anything to benefit, and that the service is rolling out automatically across its network to all compatible devices.
O2 also says it has used the same technology since the start of 2024 to flag more than 1.6 billion suspected scam and spam calls. That history is what gave it the confidence, in its words, to move from warning customers to blocking the calls.
It already blocked calls from numbers on Ofcom’s Do Not Originate list, which is a register of numbers that should never make outbound calls. The new service widens the range of fraudulent calls that can be stopped. We covered the regulator’s side of this in our post on Ofcom’s number misuse probe.
What do the O2 numbers on scam call blocking actually tell us?
They tell us what O2 expects, not what has been proved across the whole network. The headline is that over 3 million malicious calls a week are expected to be blocked in real time, and that figure comes from the results of the trial.
One detail from the trial is worth knowing. O2 says 60% of blocked calls were followed by repeat attempts within a minute of the first. It also says a number labelled as fraud made around three times as many call attempts after being blocked as before.
In plain English, scammers seem not to realise they are being blocked, so they keep ringing the same people. O2’s reading is that this wastes their time and stops them targeting others. That is a fair reading, but it is O2’s interpretation of its own data.
The context is a busy one for scams. O2’s latest quarterly Scam Index says 61% of people who met a suspected scam between July and September had a suspicious phone call, up five percentage points on the previous quarter. That is a survey figure from O2, so treat it as a guide to the mood rather than a precise count.
What scam call blocking will not catch
Scam call blocking works on calls the system suspects. A suspected call is a judgement, and no system gets every judgement right. O2 says legitimate calls should still get through, but it does not claim the service catches every fraud call.
Suspected spam calls, which are annoying rather than criminal, will still be flagged but not blocked. So you may still see a warning on a call that comes through, and you should still take it seriously.
The release is also about O2’s own customers. It does not say whether brands that run on O2’s network get the same protection, so if you are with one of those brands, check with your provider rather than assuming.
Texts are a separate system. O2 says it uses firewall technology to block fraudulent text messages, and that more than 1.4 billion texts have been stopped from reaching customers. Our guide to the signs of mobile provider fraud covers the messages that still slip through.
What can you do about scam calls on any network?
You can report a suspicious call or text for free to 7726, which O2 says helps it improve its blocking. It is worth saving that number whichever provider you use.
Beyond that, the sensible habits have not changed. If a caller says they are from your bank or your mobile provider, hang up and ring the number on your card or your latest bill rather than any number they give you. Our post on missed call scams shows how callers try to get you to ring back.
It is also worth asking your own provider what it offers. O2 says other operators offer some form of scam protection, so the details are likely to differ. If you are weighing up a switch anyway, add it to your checklist.
Frequently asked questions about scam call blocking
- Do I need to turn on O2’s scam call blocking?
- No. O2 says it is rolling out automatically to all compatible devices on its network, free of charge, and that customers do not need to do anything to benefit.
- Will scam call blocking stop every scam call?
- No. It targets calls suspected to be scams, and O2 describes it as a way to cut the number reaching you, not a guarantee that none will.
- Is O2 the only network with scam call protection?
- O2 says other operators offer some form of scam protection, but that it is the first UK mobile operator to block all calls suspected as scam. That is O2’s claim, so check what your own provider offers.
- How do I report a scam call or text?
- Report it to 7726, which O2 says is free. It helps the network improve its blocking.
- Does this change anything about my bill?
- O2 says the service is free, so there is no extra charge for it. Your plan and price stay as they are.
Sources
- Virgin Media O2 press release, 30 October 2026. Supports every figure and claim in this post: the over 3 million calls a week expectation, Hiya, the 1.6 billion calls flagged since the start of 2024, the trial findings on repeat attempts, the Scam Index figure, the 1.4 billion texts stopped, 7726, the Do Not Originate list, and O2’s first UK mobile operator claim.
Checked 2 November 2026.
