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Brits Hit by Robo Calls with Voice Offering Part-Time Work on WhatsApp
The watchdog suspects millions more people received the calls and told the BBC it is working to trace the scammers behind the spoofed numbers.
The Information Commissioner's Office reported a five-year high in complaints about automated 'robo-calls' using spoofed UK mobile numbers to trick recipients into joining WhatsApp groups or sharing personal information.
Complaints surged from 1,374 in July to 2,178 in August, an increase of 58 per cent, before climbing a further 69 per cent to 3,684 in September.
Criminals use fake job listings to trick victims into money muling or phishing, a tactic that experts from the Communications Crime Strategy Group warn often leads to recruitment scams.
OFCOM's Will Pinkney advises recipients to hang up and report suspicious numbers to 7726, while the ICO investigates the source of these indiscriminate messages originating from outside the UK.
Calling the reported figures just the 'tip of the iceberg,' the ICO suspects millions of people are receiving these calls, while the government remains committed to delivering the Telecommunications Charter by November.