--- title: UK has highest fraud call rate in Europe description: The UK has Europe's highest fraud call rate, at 9.3%. Brits are bombarded by fraudsters impersonating loved ones, Amazon reps, and HMRC. image: https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/GCTR-UK-FOCUS-A.jpg --- [![Hiya logo](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/hiya-new-purple.svg)](https://www.hiya.com/) Solutions Solutions [For Mobile Operators Protect your network](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/operators) [For Businesses Brand your calls](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/businesses) [For People Get the mobile app](https://www.hiya.com/products/apps/hiya-spam-blocker) ###### Webinar Branded Calling 101 Weekly Webinar Make your company's calls more recognizable. Learn how Hiya can drive value for your business. [Sign up today Arrow Right](https://www.hiya.com/lp/webinar-series-intro-to-hiya-branded-call) Products Connect ###### [Branded Call Display your branded caller ID](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/branded-call) ###### [Number Registration Display your branded caller ID](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/number-registration) ###### [View Plans Flexible pricing for teams of all sizes](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/pricing) Protect ###### [Spam Analytics Stop spam & fraud on your mobile network](https://www.hiya.com/products/protect/spam-analytics) ###### [AI Voice Detection Real-time AI voice detection](https://www.hiya.com/products/protect/ai-voice-detection) Mobile apps ###### [Hiya Spam Blocker Fraud & AI voice protection](https://www.hiya.com/products/apps/hiya-spam-blocker) ###### [Hiya AI Phone Productivity for busy people](https://www.hiya.com/products/apps/hiya-ai-phone) ![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/sotc-report.avif) ###### Report State of the Call 2026 86% of unidentified calls go unanswered. Read the benchmark report for what is happening in voice today, and what you can do to drive business. [Read the report Arrow Right](https://www.hiya.com/state-of-the-call) Why Hiya? Overview [Why Hiya Your voice innovation partner](https://www.hiya.com/why-hiya) [How it works Get started quickly & easily](https://www.hiya.com/how-it-works) [Customer Stories Real companies, real results](https://www.hiya.com/case-studies) [Voice Intelligence Platform Industry’s leading voice platform](https://www.hiya.com/why-hiya/voice-intelligence-platform) [Trust Center Compliance, security, & privacy](https://www.hiya.com/why-hiya/trust-center) Company [About Leadership and history](https://www.hiya.com/company/about) [Careers We're hiring!](https://www.hiya.com/company/careers) [Contact us Get in touch](https://www.hiya.com/contact-us) ![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/bclc-hero-img.webp) ###### Customer Story BCLC increases business KPIs with Hiya With Hiya Branded Call BCLC was able to increase contact rates, campaign efficiency, and revenue. [Read their story Arrow Right](https://www.hiya.com/customer-stories/bclc) Resources Resources [Resource Center](https://www.hiya.com/resources) [Partner Program](https://partners.hiya.com/) [Get Support](https://hiya.com/support) [Developer Docs](https://developer.hiya.com/) [Hiya Blog](https://blog.hiya.com/) [Newsroom](https://www.hiya.com/newsroom) [Events](https://www.hiya.com/events) ###### eBook 10 Tips for customer-friendly phone calls Prevent caller reputation issues and complaints with customer-friendly calling practices. [Read eBook Arrow Right](https://www.hiya.com/resources/ebooks/10-tips-for-customer-friendly-phone-calls) [Get Started Arrow Right](https://www.hiya.com/#audience) [Log in](https://connect.hiya.com/login) [Get started](https://www.hiya.com/#audience) - [Home](https://hiya.com) - [Blog](https://blog.hiya.com) - [UK has highest fraud call rate in Europe](https://blog.hiya.com/uk-has-highest-fraud-call-rate-in-europe) [Hiya Protect](https://blog.hiya.com/tag/hiya-protect) [Scam Trends](https://blog.hiya.com/tag/scam-trends) [Spam & Fraud Protection](https://blog.hiya.com/tag/spam-fraud-protection) # UK has highest fraud call rate in Europe [Andrea Moreno](https://blog.hiya.com/author/andrea-moreno) Sep. 22, 2023 [![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/icon-fb.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.hiya.com/uk-has-highest-fraud-call-rate-in-europe) [![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/icon-x.svg)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://blog.hiya.com/uk-has-highest-fraud-call-rate-in-europe&text=UK+has+highest+fraud+call+rate+in+Europe) [![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/icon-linkedin.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.hiya.com/uk-has-highest-fraud-call-rate-in-europe) ## At a glance ![UK has highest fraud call rate in Europe](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/GCTR-UK-FOCUS-A.jpg) The United Kingdom continues to have Europe's highest fraud call rate, at 9.3%. Brits are bombarded by fraudsters impersonating loved ones, Amazon reps, and the country’s tax agency HMRC. Those are some of the insights from Hiya’s [Q2 2023 Global Call Threat Report](https://www.hiya.com/global-call-threat-report). The report compares rates of both nuisance and fraud calls in 39 countries around the world. Here are some highlights from the UK section: - Overall, 27.3% of all incoming calls from non-contacts in the UK are unwanted (either fraud or nuisance calls). - Of those unwanted calls, 9.3% are fraud. - Nuisance calls make up 18% of unwanted calls.   ![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6He0TOTnhp8ZVrrN_rtOFA0yTk6H8bhLa1RZQQlVUhT2pO1CqDyU9aJEEbrDP6ysoPM6-qCe0OLivl9YCnqmzqOYj4dX2VXL7-MM-AFbh4nIkAdP9mYvMoxz9y-Xp_REWyd5_E_Iqiv6c7zym9pnGnA) *In the UK, 18% of calls are nuisance and 9.3% are fraud, for a total spam rate of 27.3%.* ##### **Most popular scam calls in the UK** Amazon scams are popular in the UK, as they are in many other countries. Unique to the UK are HMRC scams, which impersonate officials from the UK’s tax service Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. The UK is also seeing a rise in scams impersonating family members. There have even been news reports of family member scams using [AI-generated voice clones](https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/beatthescammers/article-12198111/Scammer-lifts-lid-new-AI-fraud-spoofs-childs-VOICE.html) to convince parents their child has been kidnapped and they need to pay a ransom for the child’s return. Below are the top scams in the UK for Q2 2023:   ![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ltUNKSTBU0vk03R1q5zJUBvlH97x-mLglSMBcVtZc83KJjC-oPurwgakCpH-r4ToISC5qz3YV8TgGEWltxnOfC8drPgPnatXXMAS9_ZC4tP5WV3Ug0gmKDDtbAv968reOdBsRqiYqBejtWNZaU02rds) **HMRC** – [HMRC scams](https://blog.hiya.com/hmrc-scam-in-the-uk?__hstc=45788219.477f19ca7a3aef9b43265c9c1739e5fd.1695325753877.1695325753877.1695325753877.1&__hssc=45788219.1.1695325753877&__hsfp=1670471037&hsLang=en) impersonate agents from the UK’s tax agency, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. Often a robocall will inform the recipient that they are being investigated for tax evasion or tax fraud by HMRC. There has also been an uptick in scams related to a [tax credit](https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/hmrc-in-new-tax-credits-scam/) for low-income households to help with the cost of living. **Amazon** – Since Amazon is an international retailer, it’s not hard for a scammer to happen upon a victim who has an Amazon account. [Amazon impersonators](https://blog.hiya.com/amazon-scam?hsLang=en) may say that they suspect an unauthorized purchase, or that the credit card linked to the account needs to be updated. Amazon has even issued a [warning to UK customers](https://www.bracknellnews.co.uk/news/23455523.amazon-issues-impersonation-scam-warning-uk-customers/) to be on the lookout for imposter scams.  **Family** – Family member or [loved ones scams](https://blog.hiya.com/loved-ones-scam-is-a-global-problem?__hstc=45788219.477f19ca7a3aef9b43265c9c1739e5fd.1695325753877.1695325753877.1695325753877.1&__hssc=45788219.1.1695325753877&__hsfp=1670471037&hsLang=en) are on the rise in the UK and other countries. Reports from Hiya users in the UK show that a common tactic is for the fraudster to pretend to be a daughter who just lost her phone (that’s why she’s calling/texting from a different number) and needs to have money sent to her immediately.   ##### Key findings globally Globally, key findings from the Q2 2023 Global Call Threat Report include: - Fraud rates increased in 30 of the 39 countries examined in the report. - Chile leads the world with a spam rate of 56.9%. - Spain has the highest spam rate in Europe. - The UK has the highest proportion of fraud calls in Europe. [**Download the Q2 2023 Global Call Threat Report**](https://www.hiya.com/global-call-threat-report?__hstc=45788219.477f19ca7a3aef9b43265c9c1739e5fd.1695325753877.1695325753877.1695325753877.1&__hssc=45788219.1.1695325753877&__hsfp=1670471037)   **Methodology** This is the third quarter in a row that Hiya has published the Global Call Threat Report, which allows for comparison. Data is based on calls traversing Hiya’s voice security network, which includes Samsung Smart Call-enabled devices and Hiya’s mobile app.  Hiya defines spam calls as unwanted calls, both nuisance and fraud, from someone not in an individual’s local address book. Nuisance calls are not illegal, while fraud calls are specifically meant to steal money or personal information. You can download the report below. [![No country is immune from phone spam](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fiZ9W2RP5K8RIOInwY9PsMPzgOJ906mPT3PB6656x1TXf1pY6S8M_E2dADRpZpq7Rk03ncrphOXQFgIbwTb1MmvQHug6T4aD30J7ofMXou0P_LkCX8-DzdpBhWNkZo901qpyMdfm3e2bkTh37_rfedo)](https://www.hiya.com/global-call-threat-report) [![banner-hiya-reg](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/banner-hiya-reg.jpg)](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/number-registration) ### Latest Articles ⚡️ - Hiya awarded 16 G2 Summer 2026 badges for branded caller ID Lena Prickett Jul. 9, 2026 - How Canada is leading the fight to stop bank scams Stephanie Boulanger Jun. 26, 2026 - How to check phone numbers for spam labels Michelle Wallace Jun. 9, 2026 ## Related articles ![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/rogers-toronto-event-blog-hero.webp) ## [How Canada is leading the fight to stop bank scams](https://blog.hiya.com/how-canada-is-leading-the-fight-to-stop-bank-scams?hsLang=en) Stephanie Boulanger Jun. 26, 2026 ![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/Blog_How-to-check-phone-numbers-for-spam-labels_B.webp) ## [How to check phone numbers for spam labels](https://blog.hiya.com/how-to-check-phone-numbers-for-spam-labels?hsLang=en) Michelle Wallace Jun. 9, 2026 ![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/Hiya%20x%20DNA-blog@2x.webp) ## [Hiya and DNA Finland launch network-level call protection](https://blog.hiya.com/hiya-and-dna-finland-launch-network-level-call-protection?hsLang=en) Stephanie Boulanger Jun. 2, 2026 [![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/hiya-new-purple.svg)](https://www.hiya.com/) [![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/linkedin-1.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/hiyainc) [![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/facebook-1.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/hiyainc/) ###### Products - Connect - [Number Registration](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/number-registration) - [Branded Call](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/branded-call) - [View Plans](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/pricing) - Protect - [Spam Analytics](https://www.hiya.com/products/protect/spam-analytics) - [AI Voice Detection](https://www.hiya.com/products/protect/ai-voice-detection) - Apps - [Hiya Spam Blocker](https://www.hiya.com/products/apps/hiya-spam-blocker) - [Hiya AI Phone](https://www.hiya.com/products/apps/hiya-ai-phone) ###### Solutions - Company size - [Enterprise](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/enterprise) - [Call Centers](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/call-center) - [Small and Medium](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/businesses) - Service providers - [Operators](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/operators) - [OEMs and technology](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/technology-partners) ###### Considering Hiya? - [Why Hiya](https://www.hiya.com/why-hiya) - [How it Works](https://www.hiya.com/how-it-works) - [Customer Stories](https://www.hiya.com/case-studies) - [Voice Intelligence Platform](https://www.hiya.com/why-hiya/voice-intelligence-platform) - [Trust Center](https://www.hiya.com/why-hiya/trust-center) - [Modern Slavery](https://www.hiya.com/company/modern-slavery) - [About Hiya](https://www.hiya.com/company/about) - [Careers: We're hiring!](https://www.hiya.com/company/careers) - [Contact us](https://www.hiya.com/contact-us) ###### Resources - [Resource Center](https://www.hiya.com/resources) - [Partner Program](https://partners.hiya.com/) - [Get Support](https://hiya.com/support) - [Developer Docs](https://developer.hiya.com/) - [Hiya Blog](https://hiya.com/blog) - [Events](https://www.hiya.com/events) - [Press Kit](https://www.hiya.com/newsroom#press-kit) ![ANAB](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/logo-anab.svg) ![ISO 27001](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/logo-iso27017.png) ![AICPA](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/logo-aicpa.svg) ![IAF](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/logo-iaf.svg) [Privacy Policy](https://www.hiya.com/legal/privacy) [Terms of Service](https://www.hiya.com/legal/terms-of-service) [App Data Privacy Policy](https://www.hiya.com/legal/app-data-protection-and-privacy-policy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Andrea Moreno", "url" : "https://blog.hiya.com/author/andrea-moreno" }, "dateModified" : "2023-09-22T00:00:28.684Z", "datePublished" : "2023-09-22T00:00:28.000Z", "headline" : "UK has highest fraud call rate in Europe", "image" : [ "https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/GCTR-UK-FOCUS-A.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.hiya.com/uk-has-highest-fraud-call-rate-in-europe", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/hiya-logo-3.svg" }, "name" : "Hiya Inc." } } ```