The UK's data watchdog is investigating a surge in automated robocalls asking people to add unknown numbers on WhatsApp, with officials warning the messages likely lead to recruitment scams.
The Information Commission's Office received more than 3,600 complaints about these "robo calls" in September, a five-year high and nearly triple the number logged in July. Andy Curry, the ICO's head of criminal investigations, told the BBC he believes the calls originate from abroad and that the 3,600 complaints represent only a fraction of actual victims. He said the ICO suspects millions of people are receiving these largely indiscriminate calls.
The automated messages typically appear to come from UK mobile numbers and often mention offers of part-time work. Simon Fell, from the Communications Crime Strategy Group, a telecoms industry body tackling fraud, said the most likely outcome is a recruitment scam, though the exact form remains uncertain because he had not followed up on the messages himself.
Fell outlined potential schemes. Victims could be directed to fake job listings involving money muling, where criminals pass illicit funds through a victim's account with serious legal consequences. Alternatively, the scam could be a phishing exercise where criminals identify active phone numbers to resell on the dark web. "This is a criminal that has reached out to you and they're trying to defraud you in some way shape or form," Fell said.
The ICO advises people to ignore calls from unknown numbers, block them, and report suspicious calls to the watchdog. Mobile companies are responding by sending intelligence reports to regulator Ofcom, working with law enforcement, and liaising with Meta, which owns WhatsApp. If victims add the number to WhatsApp's encrypted platform, subsequent conversations cannot be investigated further.
WhatsApp said it has features to protect users, including silencing calls from unknown numbers, and bans millions of accounts annually for malicious behavior such as bulk registration or automated messaging.
The numbers used in the scam are spoofed by criminals to appear as legitimate UK mobile numbers. The UK government promised last November to eliminate call spoofing within a year. A Home Office spokesman said the government was taking "robust action" to tackle scams and remains committed to delivering the Telecommunications Charter by November.