UK regulator probes surge in WhatsApp recruitment scam robo-calls

The UK’s data watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office, has opened an inquiry after receiving more than 3,600 complaints in September about automated calls that request users to add the caller on WhatsApp. These calls, which have surged to a five-year peak, typically present themselves as offers of part-time employment and may be part of recruitment scams, money-muling schemes, or simple phishing operations. Simon Fell of the Communications Crime Strategy Group warned that the exact nature of the fraud remains unclear, but the calls are likely being spoofed to look like domestic mobile numbers.

Andy Curry, head of criminal investigations at the ICO, believes the calls are largely foreign-originated and that the complaint figures represent only a fraction of those impacted. Mobile carriers are sharing intelligence with Ofcom, coordinating with law-enforcement, and engaging Meta, while WhatsApp points to built-in safeguards such as silencing unknown callers and banning malicious accounts. The Home Office reiterated its commitment to eliminating call spoofing under the Telecommunications Charter.