UK signs deal with India to tackle phone scams
Key Points
- UK government and India's Cellular Operators Association signed an MoU on 14 September to fight fraud with AI
- Fraud is the largest reported crime in England and Wales, costing £14.40 billion in 2023 to 2024
- More than two-thirds of UK fraud cases have an international element
- Vodafone, Jio Infocomm and Bharti Airtel attended the signing in New Delhi
- The UK is spending over £250 million on a new Fraud Strategy between 2026 and 2029
The UK government and India’s Cellular Operators Association (COAI) signed an agreement on Monday (14 September) to use AI to fight scams, fraud and online harms across both countries’ telecoms networks.
The British High Commission in New Delhi announced the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday (15 September), describing it as the first formal collaboration between the UK and COAI.
The MoU sets out a framework for the two telecoms industries to share learning and build engagement around digital fraud issues affecting both countries. It covers how networks can use AI, which the High Commission said is changing how networks are designed, managed and secured.
Fraud is the largest reported crime type in England and Wales and cost the economy £14.40 billion in the 2023 to 2024 financial year. More than two-thirds of UK fraud cases have an international element.
“Industry partners are central to protecting citizens, business and institutions from nefarious actors who may cause them harm,” said Ben Mellor, Acting British High Commissioner to India.
“The MoU we’ve signed today reflects the UK’s and India’s shared commitment to address emerging challenges at the intersection of telecommunications and digital security,” he added.
The agreement was signed at the CO.AI (Communications and AI) panel discussion in New Delhi, which brought together industry, the Government of India and the British High Commission. Attendees included the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, the Department of Telecommunications, Vodafone, Jio Infocomm and Bharti Airtel.
“Telecom networks will not only support AI workloads; they will increasingly become AI-enabled systems capable of optimising performance, strengthening security, improving service quality and protecting consumers from emerging digital risks,” said Lt Gen SP Kochhar, Director General of COAI.
The deal sits under the 2024 Technology Security Initiative and UK-India Vision 2035, which commit both governments to making sure AI strengthens trust in digital services rather than undermining it. The same initiative is funding a UK-India Connectivity and Innovation Centre and a UK-India Joint Centre for AI.
The UK has committed to spending more than £250 million between 2026 and 2029 on a new Fraud Strategy aimed at protecting individuals and businesses. This includes an Online Crime Centre launched in April, which brings together government, police, intelligence agencies, banks, mobile networks and major tech firms to co-ordinate action against fraud.
The strategy also introduces a Telecoms Fraud Charter to drive industry adoption of AI and a new Report Fraud service.
