Virgin Media O2 Enhances Customer Security with AI-Powered Anti-Spam Tools
In a significant advancement for mobile customer security, Virgin Media O2 has announced the deployment of a new, free AI-powered spam-fighting tool and call identification service, in collaboration with voice security leader Hiya. This initiative aims to fortify users against fraud and spam calls, marking a notable leap in telecommunications safety.
The upcoming months will see the rollout of Hiya Protect, a service employing Adaptive AI to scrutinize call number behavior. This innovative technology will discern whether incoming calls should be flagged as suspected spam or outright blocked as fraudulent, thereby intercepting potential threats before they reach the customer. This preemptive approach to call management represents a breakthrough in protecting users from unsolicited and potentially harmful communications.
Moreover, Virgin Media O2 is set to introduce Hiya Connect, an advanced caller identification feature that enables businesses to enhance their call legitimacy. By allowing companies to append identity information — including the company name, logo, call purpose, and location — to their calls, Hiya Connect ensures that recipients are well-informed about who is calling and the call's intent. This transparency is anticipated to bolster customer confidence in answering calls, benefiting businesses through improved communication efficacy.
Murray Mackenzie, Virgin Media O2’s Director of Fraud, emphasized the company's dedication to combating fraud by integrating the latest technological defenses to safeguard customers. The partnership with Hiya is a strategic move to augment existing protection measures and offer additional security layers against spam and fraudsters.
Virgin Media O2's commitment to customer safety is further evidenced by its substantial investments in fraud prevention technologies in recent years. Among these is an AI-powered mechanism that successfully intercepted over 89 million fraudulent text messages in 2023, underscoring the company's proactive stance against digital threats.
The challenge of phone spam and fraud remains a global issue, with a Hiya study revealing that 28% of unknown calls in the UK in the last quarter of 2023 were spam, nearly 10% of which were fraudulent. Virgin Media O2 encourages customers to contribute to the fight against scam messages by reporting suspicious texts to 7726. This collaborative effort allows the company to refine its blocking services further and swiftly adapt to emerging fraud trends, enhancing overall customer protection.
Virgin Media O2's strategic implementation of AI-powered tools in partnership with Hiya sets a new industry standard for customer security, offering a promising outlook for the future of telecommunications safety.