AI scam calls are harder to detect than ever

By Dr. Tim Sandle
SCIENCE EDITOR

DIGITAL JOURNAL
January 29, 2026

Examining the TCL 50 smartphone. — Image by © Tim Sandle

AI scam calls hit record levels on UK phone networks last year, and with the rise of AI, they are expected to increase even more. As an example, mobile service provider O2 recently blocked 50 million scam calls in one month using their defence system.

Naveed Janmohamed, CEO and Founder of the AI research assistant Anara, tells Digital Journal that learning to spot artificial voices during phone calls might save thousands from sophisticated cons that have already stolen millions from unsuspecting people.

“The technology behind these scams has developed very quickly,” Janmohamed explains. “Today’s AI needs just seconds of your voice to create convincing clones, letting criminals pose as your bank or tax office without setting off alarm bells.”

Random calls discussing money should trigger suspicion. “These AI fraudsters typically claim they’ve spotted suspicious transactions on your accounts or that you’re entitled to a refund, but it’s all a ploy to steal your personal information.”

Voice-cloning tools now pump out startlingly real fake calls at costs lower than ever. Criminal gangs who once lacked access to advanced tech can now afford these sophisticated tools, dramatically increasing the threat to ordinary people.

Janmohamed has shared the top three giveaways that reveal artificially generated voices. “You can spot fake callers if you listen carefully,” he warns.

Pay attention to

1. Strange pauses before the caller answers questions.

2. Background noise that suddenly appears or disappears.

3. If the caller struggles to respond naturally to unexpected questions you throw at them.

The problem has grown to massive proportions across Britain. Numbers from National Trading Standards (NTS) show 73% of adults in the UK were targeted by these schemes. 19 million people in the UK have lost money to fraudulent calls, according to latest estimates.

“When something sounds off about a call discussing your money or asking for personal details it almost certainly is – hang up immediately,” warns Janmohamed.

The expert highlighted pressure tactics as a major red flag no one should ignore. “Watch out for callers rushing you to make decisions on the spot or who avoid answering straight questions when you try to check who they really are,” Janmohamed continues. “Those behaviours almost always mean you’re dealing with cons and not legitimate staff.”

UK mobile networks block millions of suspicious calls everyday because of sophisticated filtering tech. Yet despite this protection, NTS data reveals only 32% of scam losses ever get reported to authorities.

Scammers rely on this shame to keep victims silent while they continue operating without fear of getting caught. “Prevention remains the best protection against these criminals,” Janmohamed stresses. “Never give personal details to someone who called you first. If you need to check if something’s genuine, put the phone down and call the company back using the official number from their website or your bank card. Taking extra precautions when something feels wrong can save you from becoming another victim.”