Phone scams are no longer just an irritating interruption to daily life. According to new research from NordVPN, supported by findings from Hiya, scam calls are creating a growing sense of insecurity among UK consumers, with nearly one-third of Brits reporting that fraudulent calls make them feel unsafe.
The findings highlight a worrying shift in public confidence, as emerging technologies such as AI-powered voice cloning make it increasingly difficult to distinguish legitimate calls from sophisticated scams.
Scam Calls Continue to Surge Across the UK
NordVPN’s latest survey found that 77% of Britons received at least one scam call over the past year. Meanwhile, Hiya’s State of the Call 2026 report revealed that UK consumers now receive an average of four unwanted calls every week — more than 200 nuisance or scam calls annually.
The impact extends beyond inconvenience. Nearly one in three respondents said the volume and sophistication of scam calls has left them feeling unsafe when answering their phones.
According to Domininkas Virbickas, Product Director at NordVPN, the issue is rooted in a broader decline in trust.
“What these numbers reflect is a deeper anxiety about not being able to trust a call. The fact that so many people feel unsafe is a sign that something fundamental has shifted about how people relate to one of the most basic communication tools we have.”
AI Voice Cloning Is Making Scams Harder to Spot
One of the most concerning findings from Hiya’s research is the growing use of AI-generated deepfake voices.
The report found that nearly one in three global respondents had received an AI voice-cloned scam call within the last year. These scams use artificial intelligence to mimic the voice of a trusted individual, such as a family member, colleague, bank representative, or customer support agent.
As AI technology becomes more accessible, cybercriminals are increasingly leveraging voice cloning to create convincing impersonation scams that can bypass traditional warning signs.
The Most Common Phone Scams Targeting Brits
The survey identified telemarketing and aggressive sales calls as the most frequently encountered unwanted calls in the UK, affecting 33% of respondents.
Other common scam categories included:
- Fake customer support or technical support calls (20%)
- Fraudsters impersonating banks or financial institutions (20%)
- General phishing and impersonation scams
- AI-generated voice-cloning fraud attempts
The findings suggest that scammers are increasingly exploiting trusted brands and institutions to trick victims into sharing sensitive information or transferring money.
British Victims Lose More Money Than Any Other Surveyed Nation
Financial losses linked to phone scams remain significant.
According to Hiya’s research, UK respondents reported losing an average of £784 to phone scams — the highest average loss among all countries surveyed.
The growing threat has also changed consumer behaviour. NordVPN found that 57% of Britons now immediately block suspicious callers rather than engaging with them.
However, experts warn that widespread distrust of incoming calls can lead people to miss important communications from healthcare providers, employers, financial institutions, and family members.
Why Trust in Phone Calls Is Declining
Alex Algard, CEO and founder of Hiya, believes the erosion of trust is one of the biggest consequences of the scam epidemic.
“Trust in the phone is eroding, and people are answering fewer calls and missing the ones that matter. That is the cost of letting scammers win.”
NordVPN Launches Free Call Protection App
In response to the growing threat, NordVPN has launched HangUp, a free Android application designed to help users identify and block unwanted callers.
The standalone app is available to anyone with a free Nord account and offers features including:
- Caller identification
- Scam call detection
- Telemarketing categorisation
- Caller information display
- Category-based blocking for scam and marketing calls
The company has also partnered with Hiya to integrate advanced call protection technology into its services, providing users with warnings before potentially fraudulent calls are answered.
More information about HangUp and NordVPN’s security tools can be found on the official NordVPN website.
Protecting Yourself From Phone Scams
Security experts recommend several steps to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of phone fraud:
- Never share passwords, PINs, or banking details during unsolicited calls.
- Verify caller identities independently using official contact numbers.
- Be cautious of urgent requests involving money transfers.
- Hang up and contact organisations directly if you are unsure.
- Use call screening and scam detection tools where available.
- Be aware that familiar voices may not always be genuine due to AI cloning technology.
A Growing Digital Trust Problem
The rise of AI-enhanced scams highlights a broader challenge facing consumers in 2026: maintaining trust in digital communications.
As fraudsters become more sophisticated and technologies like voice cloning become increasingly convincing, organisations such as NordVPN and Hiya argue that proactive protection tools will play a critical role in helping consumers regain confidence in answering the phone.
For millions of Britons, the question is no longer whether they will receive a scam call — but whether they can trust the voice on the other end of the line.
