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UK subscribers are heavily impacted by spam and fraudulent calls. According to a study by Hiya, 28% of received calls are spam or fraud, costing subscribers £16.5 billion annually and wasting 484.5 million hours. With the rise of spam and scam calls, 92% of subscribers now believe unidentified calls are fraudulent, leading to a reluctance to answer unknown numbers. This behaviour negatively affects legitimate businesses and their customer outreach efforts.

Source: https://hiyaprotectdemo.com

Hiya is a third-party platform integrated directly into the BT network, allowing it to analyse calls against spam and fraud. This platform uses AI to perform real-time call analysis and categorises calls to notify the recipient if the call is likely to be safe, and even blocks calls which are identified as illegitimate. There’s no setup required, and it is provided by a platform that has been chosen and vetted by Network Providers internationally.
Does Hiya protect against spam SMS?
The Hiya solution only analyses voice calls, it does not protect from SMS Spam. However, Transatel clients benefit from the SMS Spam Shield, a separate solution that analyses and blocks potential SMS fraud.

Link to SMS Spam Shield: https://docs.transatel.com/uncategorized/sms-spam-solution-and-fraud-prevention/

All MVNA UK clients can activate Hiya on a subscriber-by-subscriber basis (On/Off) via Auriga (on the Configured Services tab) or the Connectivity Management API. Please note, that the call categorisation notification label will only work when users are in the UK using IMS (4G calling). If the user is roaming or does not have IMS enabled, they will not benefit from these features.

Hiya identifies four categories according to the risk level of incoming calls:
1. Invalid Phone Calls: These calls are blocked at the network level and will not appear on the user’s device (e.g., illegal premium number calls).
2. Fraud: The call is likely to be fraudulent (extortion scams, travel scams, or tech support scams).
3. Spam: The call is likely to include telemarketing, surveys, robocalls, and political campaign calls.
4. Neutral: Legitimate calls from businesses like banks, mobile operators, delivery companies, and healthcare.

– Invalid phone Calls: These are blocked at the network level, therefore no call or notification is shown.
– Fraud: The word “Potential Fraud” or “Nuisance Call” is displayed alongside the number (depending on the device).
– Spam: “Suspected Spam” will be shown next to the number (depending on the device).
– Neutral: Where applicable, the legitimate business name and number will be displayed.
Note: Display may vary depending on the device.

Most mobile devices that display numbers or text, including some wearables connected directly to the mobile network with a SIM, support Hiya Protect. Devices connected via Bluetooth may not display the call labels.

Hiya Protect uses AI to continuously learn and improve its spam detection. Some unwanted calls might not be flagged immediately because the system is always adjusting based on new data.

Spam and scam calls can be reported here: Report a scam call | BT Help

Incorrectly flagged numbers can be reported directly to Hiya using this form: Submit a request – Hiya (Zendesk)

No, Hiya Protect does not screen calls received through third-party apps, as these are “OTT” (Over the Top) and use mobile data. Hiya Protect can only analyse calls that transit through BT’s voice call network

Any existing call screening app on the device will override Hiya Protect’s call categorisation label. However, the Hiya Protect label might briefly be seen before the third-party app’s label appears.
It is also of interest that Hiya provides a consumer app which is complimentary to Hiya Protect. Although the app’s labels will override the Hiya Protect labels, it will also provide further details about company calls, such as their logo.

Note: On Samsung devices, if Samsung Smart Call is enabled, Hiya’s label may be displayed briefly first, followed by Samsung’s Caller ID label.

TPS is the official “do not call” register for individuals and businesses to opt out of unsolicited sales or telemarketing calls. While registering with TPS can help reduce nuisance calls, it won’t block all unwanted calls, especially spam. Hiya provides additional protection against these calls.
Link: https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/

Sometimes it may be required to block a caller for personal reasons. This can normally be done through the phone’s dialler settings.
Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/111104#:~:text=For%20phone%20numbers%2C%20go%20to,that%20you%20want%20to%20block.
Samsung: https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS10002869/

Invalid phone calls will still be filtered outside the UK. However, in roaming, the category label may no longer be displayed.

While Hiya Protect greatly reduces the risk, no system can guarantee 100% protection from all unwanted calls, as scammers constantly change tactics. Thanks to AI, Hiya, however, actively fights spam and scams in real time.

BT Call Protect is a solution for BT’s fixed-line customers, whereas Hiya is the solution for mobile users.
Link to BT Call Protect: https://www.bt.com/help/security/bt-call-protect—-how-to—–guide