VodafoneThree blocks two million bank scam texts in anti-fraud trial

VodafoneThree says it has blocked more than two million fraudulent text messages targeting bank customers as part of a cross-industry trial designed to tackle SMS fraud.

The proof-of-concept, launched a year ago  was developed with Barclays and supported by the Mobile Ecosystem Forum and Cyber Defence Alliance. The initiative has since expanded to include The Co-operative Bank and TSB.

The Mobile Ecosystem Forum is a global trade association. Our members are companies whose products power mobile services such as messaging, content, advertising and IoT. The CDA brings Telecommunication, Law Enforcement and Tech partners together to problem solve on cross-sector problems.

The project uses intelligence shared between VodafoneThree and participating banks to create bespoke filtering rules within the operator’s SMS firewall, enabling fraudulent messages to be identified and blocked while allowing genuine banking communications to reach customers.

VodafoneThree said the trial has increased the number of scam texts blocked on its network by around 25 per cent

The operator blocked more than 139 million fraudulent SMS messages across its network during 2025, with the latest initiative focusing specifically on banking scams, where fraudsters impersonate banks and attempt to steal personal or financial information through fake links or phone numbers.

According to industry figures cited by VodafoneThree, UK banks lose around £1.17 billion a year to fraud, while reports of authorised push payment (APP) scams originating via SMS increased by around 40 per cent last year

The companies involved say they plan to expand the approach to protect more banking customers through wider collaboration between the telecoms and financial services sectors.