As real life banks close, network operator starts a Scam School to stop Granny getting mugged online
- Reference: 1759922113
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/10/08/vmo2_scam_school/
- Source link:
Dubbed the "Scam Schools" program, the initiative will offer free, in-person sessions across the UK, delivered in partnership with digital inclusion charity the [1]Good Things Foundation .
The telecoms giant says the sessions will be advertised locally and on its [2]website . People can register their interest in attending a session via the website, while community groups looking to host a session should also apply online. (You can send in a form [3]here .)
[4]
Scams are becoming pervasive, and there can be few people in the country who haven't received a text message or email from a fraudster pretending to be their bank or HMRC, the UK government's tax agency, or claiming to be a delivery firm holding a package for them. Older people are often targeted, and can [5]lose substantial sums of money .
[6]
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VMO2 says that its figures point to more than 1.8 million people over 65 in the UK being scammed online in the past year, with the average loss being £831 ($1,114). More than half of Brits fear their older relatives could lose their life savings to fraudsters, it claims.
The situation is exacerbated by ongoing bank branch closures, which are forcing many older and vulnerable people who may have limited internet experience to rely on online services, putting them at greater risk of running into fraudsters.
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"Scammers are becoming ever more convincing and anyone can fall victim," commented VMO2's Director of Fraud Prevention, Murray Mackenzie.
"From fake investment opportunities to messages claiming to be from trusted banks or delivery companies, fraudsters are always changing their tactics. Worryingly, it's often older people who are most at risk."
In an effort to counter this, VMO2's training events are designed to help people with low digital confidence gain practical skills to spot and avoid scams, as well as provide advice on how they can get additional support to stay safe online.
[9]BT promises 5G Standalone for 99% of the UK by 2030
[10]Virgin Media scraps wholesale network rival to Openreach
[11]VodafoneThree's a crowd – now comes the hard bit
[12]Virgin Media O2 patches hole that let callers snoop on your coordinates
These will cover areas from recognizing phishing emails and fake delivery texts to creating stronger passwords and protecting personal data.
Sessions are scheduled during October and November to coincide with Get Online Week, but a VMO2 spokesperson for the firm told us it is prepared to extend this with additional sessions if there is lots of demand.
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However, VMO2 declined to reveal how much this scheme is costing it, telling The Register that it wouldn't give a cost breakdown of a particular activity, but that it has funded the creation of the program and is providing specially trained staff to host the sessions.
Good Things Foundation chief exec Helen Milner says that many people still lack the skills and confidence to spot scams.
"By working with Virgin Media O2 during Get Online Week, we're helping local communities build the confidence they need to stay safe and make the most of life online. Together, we can ensure no one is left behind in our increasingly digital world."
Last year, VMO2's mobile arm deployed its own weapon against scammers, an " [14]AI granny " developed to answer calls from fraudsters in real time, keeping them busy on the phone by engaging in human-like rambling chat and wasting their time by pretending to be a potential target. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.goodthingsfoundation.org
[2] https://news.virginmediao2.co.uk/fraud/
[3] https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=NKgyNvN-DkOnoY-FVAiCJEUAG4rzS91DnKfJ3ENtBgRUNjdNWTdVVldNMTdHRjlKOFEwR1M4R1E0WC4u
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aOaKlc67KEK5gRE0uP0BAQAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/20/aberdeen_crypto_scam_arrests/
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aOaKlc67KEK5gRE0uP0BAQAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aOaKlc67KEK5gRE0uP0BAQAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aOaKlc67KEK5gRE0uP0BAQAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/02/bt_5g_standalone_2030/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/01/virgin_media_ditches_plans_for/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/02/vodafone_three_complete_merger/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/20/vmo2_fixes_4g_calling_issue/
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aOaKlc67KEK5gRE0uP0BAQAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/15/o2_ai_granny/
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Fascist Britain
FFS get a grip.
The plethora of scammers is completely unrelated to any notions of fascism in Britain.
Re: Fascist Britain
You’re confusing fascism with jackboots and banners. Modern fascism isn’t about uniforms - it’s about structure. It’s the merging of state and corporate power under the guise of “public good.”
When essential civic functions - policing, welfare, digital safety - are quietly handed to private companies, that’s corporatism, which Mussolini himself described as the foundation of fascism. It’s not the cartoon version of totalitarianism; it’s the bureaucratic one, where government retreats from responsibility, corporations fill the void, and citizens become managed consumers rather than protected individuals.
Government that abandons protection of its citizens and leaves telecoms to run “fraud schools” absolutely is a symptom of the same structural decay - where public duty is replaced by corporate benevolence.
Re: Fascist Britain
Indeed. I am impressed as to how absolutely useless most of the institutions are in doing anything constructive for the population.
Let's put the disabled against the wall to save a quid! Let's have police lock people up for Israel and mean tweets! Let's build more surveillance so we can rule instead of actually governing.
If Reform weren't the same just more mask off and blatant, I'd cheer the idea of the masses revoking the mandate of the major parties.
But there is no way to book the training......
It would be nice if the link to book the training in the VMO2 news release took you to a page that let you book training.
Step one.
If someone calls you from India, it is probably a scam. We at Virgin media would never call you, ever, even if you're expecting us to
Step Two
If they have a strong Indian accent that you struggle to understand. It's a scam....no wait, it could be us. Ignore step Two.
Step Three
If they say they are trying to fix your problem, it's a scam. We at Virgin Media would never try and fix your problem.
Step Four.
If they are keeping you on the call, seemingly to fix your Tech Support question, it's a scam. We at Virgin Media will try and get you off the phone as fast as possible.
Final Step
If they connect to your pc, it's a scam. We at Virgin Media will only ever ask you to reboot the device several times before handing you over to another support person who will repeat all the same steps again.
Not just old people
Even middle aged MPs can be taken in multi million £ [1]computer scams
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/08/home_office_oracle_cloud
I question how effective this might be when the telcos could do so much more to prevent such calls. Just today I received a call from a number that is registered with O2, with a robotic voice advising me of some activity on my bank card, blah, blah, blah. The usual run of the mill scam call. When I attempted to return the call I get that posh lady from the RSC informing me "The number you have dialled has not been recognised....."
It would appear that in 2025 the telcos are unable to prevent the unscrupulous scammers from spoofing numbers. Really? I know someone on here is likely to respond and explain why it's still possible but frankly, D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F. Don't give me some bullshit story about why they can't or why it's inconvenient, They're not interested or it would be been done by now.
I just never answer my phone. If anyone needs me they can leave a message and I'll call back if I think it is important.
The person making the call pays the telco. They are the 'customer' not you
Fascist Britain
So this is where Britain is now: scams are so rampant, and enforcement so toothless, that we’ve normalised “fraud awareness classes” instead of stopping the fraud. A supposedly advanced nation where your protection now depends on telecom companies giving PowerPoint lessons to pensioners.
The deeper issue is psychological. People don’t fall for scams because they’re stupid; they fall because human cognition is wired for trust and reciprocity. Fraudsters exploit the same social instincts that make cooperation possible. Even when someone knows they’re being manipulated, the brain’s stress and reward circuits can override reason - especially under time pressure or social pressure. Studies in behavioural economics and cognitive neuroscience show how compliance bias, loss aversion, and authority framing can hijack rational judgement. You can’t “train” that away with a workshop in a library.
What this programme really says is that the state has abdicated its role. Instead of strong enforcement, real penalties, and secure-by-design systems, we’re left with “digital literacy campaigns” run by the same corporations that profit from connectivity and data exposure in the first place. When protection of citizens is outsourced to PR departments, it’s not inclusion - it’s corporatised governance.
That’s the quiet hallmark of modern British fascism: government retreats, corporations step in, and everyone claps because it looks like community work.