Virgin Media O2 and Hiya Team Up to Offer Customers Robust AI-Driven Spam Protection
In a strategic alliance aimed at bolstering customer protection and combating fraudulent activities, Virgin Media O2 has forged a groundbreaking partnership with Hiya, a leading player in spam and fraud call prevention. This collaboration seeks to provide Virgin Media O2 customers with state-of-the-art AI-powered spam-fighting tools and advanced caller identification services at no additional cost.
The flagship offering in this collaboration, the Hiya Protect service, utilizes Adaptive AI to conduct a thorough analysis of call number behavior. This sophisticated scrutiny enables the system to intelligently flag suspicious calls as potential spam or block them outright as fraudulent before they even reach customers' phones, adding an extra layer of security to their communication experience.
As part of this comprehensive initiative, Virgin Media O2 is set to introduce Hiya's advanced caller identification service, Hiya Connect. This feature allows companies to enrich their calls by including identity information such as the company name, logo, call purpose, and location. By providing recipients with immediate information about the caller, this service is expected to instill greater confidence in customers, making them more likely to answer calls from recognized businesses.
The implementation of the Hiya Protect service will occur seamlessly in the background for all consumer customers in the coming months. This proactive measure aligns with Virgin Media O2's commitment to combat fraud and spam by enhancing existing fraud protection measures. Notably, the company has invested significantly in recent years to fortify its defenses against fraudulent activities, with tools like AI-powered spam text prevention which successfully blocked over 89 million fraudulent texts in 2023 alone.
Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud at Virgin Media O2, expressed the company's dedication to leveraging state-of-the-art technology in the ongoing battle against fraud. He highlighted the multifaceted approach, including AI tools to block fraudulent calls and services for identifying callers before customers answer, as pivotal in enhancing customer safety. Kush Parikh, President of Hiya, echoed the sentiment, expressing pride in providing spam and fraud solutions to Virgin Media O2. He emphasized Hiya's role in bolstering confidence in voice calling by collaborating with industry leaders like Virgin Media O2.
The prevalence of phone spam and fraud poses persistent challenges to telecom carriers globally. In the UK alone, a recent Hiya study revealed that 28% of unknown calls were spam, with nearly 10% classified as fraudulent. Given the ever-evolving tactics of scammers seeking personal information, Virgin Media O2 encourages all mobile customers to report suspicious texts freely by forwarding them to 7726. The act of forwarding scam texts not only empowers customers to protect themselves and others but also enables Virgin Media O2 to investigate and block mobile numbers used by fraudsters. This proactive approach leverages customer input to refine blocking services, identify new trends, and block messages more rapidly.
As technology evolves, so do the tactics of scammers, giving rise to various types of AI-driven scams that exploit vulnerabilities in communication systems. From deepfake voice impersonations to sophisticated phishing calls, fraudsters leverage AI to create convincing and deceptive schemes. These scams often target individuals and businesses alike, posing a significant threat to data security and financial well-being. The collaboration between Virgin Media O2 and Hiya not only addresses current challenges but also signals a proactive stance against emerging AI-driven fraud.