UK cold call hotspots revealed
Spam and scam phone calls affect us all, but in the worst cases victims are harassed month after month or left financially devastated.
Work is underway to reduce the volume of nuisance and malicious phone calls in the UK. For example, Ofcom updated its rules to require all mobile and landline networks to identify and block spoofed calls from May 2023, where technically feasible.
But it remains to be seen how successfully the regulator can monitor the effectiveness and consistency of these changes. And for now at least, spammers and scammers continue to blight the public.
Data from Unknownphone.com – a website for reporting unwanted calls – said it registered 5.5 million unsolicited calls in 2023, while data from around 10,000 trueCall users shows that vulnerable people received an average of 13 calls in the worst months of last year.
Read on to take a closer look at the data and find out how you can stop nuisance callers in their tracks.
Cold calling trends and statistics
Scam calls accounted for around half of all unsolicited phone calls reported to Unknownphone.com (to its website and Call Blocker app for iOS and Android). Sales calls were the second most common, accounting for 30% of the total, while surveys and debt collection calls made up the remainder.
The most common nuisance calling topics collated by call blocking device provider trueCall in 2023 were:
- home appliance warranty calls (something Which? has repeatedly warned about)
- insulation
- energy smart meters
- telecoms.
Unknownphone.com says the late afternoon, from 3pm to 6pm, is prime time for nuisance calls, suggesting spammers look to target people during core working hours. There’s also a spike from noon to 1pm.
Seasonal trends emerge when you look at monthly volumes of nuisance or unwanted phone calls.
February saw a spike in average nuisance calls received by trueCall users, reaching 12.9 for vulnerable users and 7.7 for standard users. Both datasets point to an increase in activity from August – Unknownphone.com said marketing and scamming activities may increase during warmer months when people might be more relaxed and potentially less vigilant.
The upward trend continued into the autumn, with October and November seeing the highest volumes of cold calls reported to Unknownphone.com at 9.58% and 10.42%. The lead-up to the holiday season marks a popular time to be targeted by marketers and scammers, though trueCall told us that December tends to be a quiet month because call centres know they aren't likely to succeed if they disturb people during their Christmas break.
Top cold calling area codes and mobile networks in 2023
London (020) has been the epicentre of spam traffic for years and was responsible for over 15% of cold calls in 2023, but Greater Manchester (0161) is an increasingly notable contributor, accounting for 6.42% of cold calls, up from only 3.35% in 2021.
Leeds takes third place with 2.51%, overtaking cities with larger populations such as Birmingham and Glasgow, suggesting it may have a higher concentration of call centres.
Data on mobile networks involved in spam calls reveals that telecom giants Sky (area code 07359) and Three (area code 07477) are at the forefront, each accounting for 0.55% of total spam calls. However, smaller networks like Vectone and Citrus rank in the top eight, with 0.47% and 0.44% respectively.
5 ways to stop nuisance calls and avoid phone scams
- Register your number Landlines and mobile numbers can be registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) free of charge. This won’t stop scammers but it should reduce unwanted sales and marketing calls.
- Home phone call blocking Ask your landline provider if it offers call blocking. BT has Call Protect, Sky has Talk Shield and TalkTalk offers Call Safe, all of which allow you to screen unrecognised numbers and block unwanted callers. Call-blocking phones are another option. For example, the trueCall device plugs into your existing phone, or you could opt for a phone with built-in features. You can read our reviews of the best call blocking home phones.
- Mobile phone call blocking iPhones and Android phones offer call blocking, spam protection and caller ID verification. Third-party apps are also available.
- Call 159 to stop bank scams Don’t give out sensitive information to anyone on an incoming call. Hang up, wait for five minutes and either call the firm on a trusted number (such as on their website) or dial 159. This will connect you to your bank’s fraud team, under a scheme most banks have signed up to.
- Don’t trust caller ID Number-spoofing technology enables scammers to easily clone the telephone number of a bank or other trusted company, meaning you can't trust the caller ID alone. This is true of text messages too, so don’t assume a text is from your bank even if it appears that way. If in any doubt, contact the relevant business using a trusted method such as the number printed on the back of your bank card.
While it might seem fruitless to report nuisance or scam calls, reports from the public can lead to action. In recent years we’ve seen companies exposed by Which? fined for unsolicited marketing calls and predatory behaviour towards vulnerable members of the public.
- Report nuisance sales calls to the Information Commissioner Office (ICO), which has the power to fine companies.
- Report scam and spam texts to your mobile phone provider by forwarding the message to 7726. If you are charged for premium text messages you didn't request, report this to the Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA). If you lose money to a scam, report this to your bank and Action Fraud or Police Scotland via 101.
- Report silent and abandoned calls to Ofcom using this online form or calling its Consumer Contact Team on 0300 123 3333. This is when the phone rings and no one answers or you're played a recorded message saying that a company has tried to call you.
