Typically, if you answer one of these calls, an automated voice claiming to be from an agency \u2013 such as recruitment or human resources \u2013 will attempt to elicit some of your personal information.<\/p>\n
Just by answering one of the +44 phone calls, it is possible that a scammer may add your number to a database<\/a>, or sell it on to another criminal organisation, resulting in you receiving more calls of a similar nature.<\/p>\n However, as long as you do not share any personal information about yourself, the only information that a scammer can collect from you answering the call is that your phone number is active, regulators ComReg said. <\/p>\n Of the recent rise in activity, a spokesman for the regulator said \u201cit\u2019s probably because of the time of the year and the season, close to Christmas, with people getting calls from loved ones or friends and family.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a time when there\u2019s more communication with people abroad, so unfortunately, bad actors prey upon people.\u201d<\/p>\n ComReg is set to deploy a new means of combating scam phone calls from international numbers. The hope is that the \u201cvoice firewall\u201d mechanism will be introduced in the first half of 2026.<\/p>\n [\u00a0\u2018I\u2019ll have to tell my husband I\u2019ve lost all our money\u2019: Calls reveal trauma of Irish scam victimsOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n The voice firewall will use advanced real time call data analytics and machine learning to detect and act upon unusual patterns of call signalling data, traffic volumes and call originating location.<\/p>\n ComReg is currently implementing four other interventions on scam calls. Between February 2023 and October 2025, those measures resulted in the blocking of over 131 million scam calls. In September of this year alone, over 18 million calls were blocked.<\/p>\n \u201cThe challenge is that [scammers] will try and find other ways to contact people,\u201d the spokesman added. \u201cWe\u2019re shutting down as many avenues as possible, but you always have to be on your guard.\u201d<\/p>\n ComReg advises saving the contact details of any friends or family members with UK phone numbers, and avoiding answering a call from an unknown number with a +44 prefix. <\/p>\n Apple<\/a> iPhone users that have updated their devices to the most recent operating system, iOS 26, can avail of a new call screening feature that combats unknown numbers.<\/p>\n If active, call screening will automatically answer calls from unknown numbers and ask the caller, or automated voice as it may be, to state their name and the reason for their call.<\/p>\n![\"Blocked](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4ZXBMGGEC5EHRJXS6KQCQELJUM.jpg\")
Source: Commission for Communications Regulation <\/p>\n