Virgin Media O2 users to get free AI spam-busting help through Hiya partnership

Virgin Media O2 has partnered with with fraud call prevention company Hiya to give the network’s customers free AI-powered spam-fighting tools and advanced caller identification services across its network to protect against fraud.

The initiative uses Hiya’s Adaptive AI technology to flag suspected spam calls or and block fraudulent ones, by preempting potential fraud before it reaches the end user.

The technology will be rolled out for free to consumer customers on the network including to MVNOs in the coming months, aiming to reduce the likelihood of customers falling victim to scams where fraudsters pose as banks, mobile phone operators, HMRC or delivery companies to gain personal information or access online accounts

Hiya Connect can identify callers by company name, logo, call purpose, and location,

Virgin Media O2 will deploy caller ID system Hiya Connect which can identify callers by company name, logo, call purpose, and location, This is expected to boost customer confidence in answering calls and give businesses more effective call response rates,.

Virgin Media O2 says its existing AI-powered spam text technology has intercepted over 89 million fraudulent text messages in 2023.

Murray Mackenzie, Virgin Media O2’s Director of Fraud, highlighted the significance of the Hiya partnership in enhancing Virgin Media O2’s fraud prevention capabilities and providing customers with added layers of protection against spam and fraud.

Kush Parikh, President of Hiyav acknowledged the global challenge carriers face in combating phone spam and scam.

Hiya says  that 28 per cent of unknown calls in the UK are from spammers, with nearly 10 per cent identified as fraud. Virgin Media O2 is urging customers report suspicious texts to 7726, enabling the company to refine its blocking services and more effectively counter emerging scam trends.