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Thu, 08 Oct 2026

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 'Add me to WhatsApp' scam calls to be investigated

The UK's data watchdog is investigating a spike in complaints about "robo calls" that appear to lead to a recruitment scam.
The UK's data watchdog, the Information Commission's Office (ICO), is investigating a surge in complaints about "robo calls" that are suspected to be part of a recruitment scam. The ICO received over 3,600 complaints about automated calls in September, a five-year high and nearly three times the number reported in July. The watchdog believes millions of people may have received these calls, which typically come from numbers that appear to be UK mobile numbers. The recorded messages often mention an offer of part-time work. Simon Fell, a spokesperson for the Communications Crime Strategy Group, said it is likely that the scam will take the form of a recruitment scam, where victims are tricked into money laundering or phishing exercises. Andy Curry, head of criminal investigations at the ICO, believes the calls are coming from abroad and the watchdog is trying to identify who is behind them. Mobile companies are working with regulators and law enforcement to tackle the issue, while WhatsApp has features in place to protect its users from scam calls. However, experts warn that the scammers may be using call spoofing techniques to make it appear as though they are calling from a legitimate UK number. The UK government had promised to eliminate call spoofing within a year, but progress is being slow. The ICO advises people to ignore unknown numbers and block suspicious calls to prevent further scams.