Virgin Media O2 is urging its British audiences to be vigilant of ‘scam messages’ promoting offers and prizes related to gambling and other business sectors.

The UK’s second-largest telecoms provider, with over 47 million connections across mobile, broadband, TV and fixed line, has raised concern about criminal gangs using gambling-linked messages to target consumers with fraudulent offers.

Analysis by Virgin Media O2 shows that the most common scam texts currently blocked or reported involve gambling or fake prize promotions:

As cited: “The most commonly reported messages right now are gambling or fake prize scams in which fraudsters offer free ‘credit’ on gambling sites, ‘prizes’ or ‘rewards’ with a link to an unsafe website. The criminals encourage people to hand over personal details including bank information to claim their prize.”

Scams on the rise…

While gambling prize messages dominate, Virgin Media O2 has also identified several other fast-rising scam tactics:

Hi Mum / Hi Dad scams, where criminals impersonate children in distress and ask parents for urgent money transfers.
Fake parking fines, threatening licence loss unless immediate payments are made online.
Recruitment scams, advertising lucrative but fake jobs to extract fees or personal data.
Car finance compensation scams, convincing victims they are owed refunds in exchange for sensitive details.

British audiences are urged to forward suspicious texts to 7726 (spelling “SPAM” on a phone keypad) or use the “report junk” feature on newer iPhones. Virgin Media O2 stresses that reporting helps its systems learn faster, blocking more messages before they reach customers.

A record year of scam texts
So far in 2025, Virgin Media O2 has blocked more than 600 million scam messages from reaching its customers’ phones — more than double the combined total of 2023 and 2024. The company uses machine learning systems to identify spam patterns and adapts quickly as new tactics emerge.

Murray Mackenzie: Virgin Media 02
Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud Prevention at Virgin Media O2, said: “Scammers aren’t sticking to old tricks; they’re evolving fast, tapping into trending news and targeting vulnerable people with fake prizes, job offers and financial compensation schemes. At Virgin Media O2 we’ve blocked more than 600 million scam texts already this year. By sounding the alarm, we’re helping spread the word and helping Brits swerve the scammers.”

He added: “With fraud continuing to increase, we’re reminding people to remain vigilant; always be cautious when receiving a call or text out of the blue, don’t share personal details, and report suspicious messages for free to 7726.”

Reformists want a tightening of clauses
2025 saw DCMS and the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) impose new rules on direct marketing by operators. As of 1 May 2025, online gambling licences must ensure customers can opt-in by product type and preferred communication channel before receiving promotional offers.

The new rules aim to empower players with more control over the marketing they receive — and prevent them from being bombarded with unwanted offers.

Despite the changes, gambling reformists argue the measures do not go far enough. Campaigners have urged DCMS to revise the Gambling Review’s White Paper to include stronger protections on opt-in clauses and clearer rules on how licence-holders can engage with audiences.

The matter has been formally raised with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), calling for stricter oversight of data protection and valid consent to be applied in all gambling marketing.

UKGC’s pledge

Yesterday, Tim Miller, Executive Director of Policy at the Gambling Commission, addressed the forum of Peers for Gambling Reform (PGR). In his speech, Miller stressed that further reforms lie beyond the recommendations of the White Paper, which should not be viewed as an end point for gambling regulation in the UK.

The Commission, he noted, is governing an evolving gambling landscape, with priorities centred on licence accountability and consumer protection against the black market. Miller underlined that the UKGC welcomes dialogue, feedback and scrutiny to safeguard gambling consumers well beyond the implementation of the White Paper’s measures.

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has announced a significant extension to the Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct and Promotional Marketing (CAP Code).

For the first time, the rules will explicitly apply to non-paid-for online marketing communications such as social media posts targeting UK consumers, regardless of where the advertiser is based.

The update aims to close long-standing regulatory loopholes and ensure that all UK-licensed businesses adhere to the same advertising standards, even if they operate from outside the UK – with new rules specifically designed for UK gambling licences.

Under the existing remit, offshore operators based in foreign jurisdictions such as Malta and Gibraltar were able to bypass CAP Code rules related to marketing communications.

Feedback to ASA recognised liabilities in the Code with regards to social media content promoting gambling services UK audiences, that was left outside of regulatory boundaries.

UK gambling licences were alerted that as of 1 September, exemption on non-paid content no longer apply. All operators holding UK licences must now ensure their unpaid marketing communications comply in full with the CAP Code.

“The amendment ensures all marketing communications targeted at UK consumers by licensed gambling operators are regulated and held to account by the same body (i.e. the ASA).

“The amendment to the scope of the Code is therefore made in line with better regulation principles, particularly to support consistency in regulation.”

Rules will be applied to all UK-targeted content on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube.

In its statement, the ASA said the rule extension brings social media marketing by licensed gambling operators into scope, regardless of where those operators are located. It stated that the change promotes stronger regulatory standards and consistency in rules applied to UK gambling advertising.

While the new rules are already in force, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) has launched a three-month consultation to gather feedback from the industry. A formal review of the changes is expected in December, following the conclusion of the consultation period.

The ASA has clarified that this extension applies exclusively to the gambling sector. It does not, at this stage, apply to advertisers from other industries that do not have a UK-registered address.

Changes to the CAP Code come amid growing public and political pressure to strengthen controls on gambling advertising across digital platforms, particularly given the heightened exposure of young users to promotional content.

CAP Code changes related to gambling advertising have been ongoing since 2022 and as part of the Gambling Review. Most notably ASA and CAP applied changes to the appeal and aesthetics of gambling ads, in which promotions can no longer feature athletes, celebrities or social media influencers.

Campaign restrictions were further tightened by CAP demanding that all online adverts promoting gambling have a base age guidance of +21, to prevent age-restricted content from being served to children.

Dr Raffaello Rossi: University of Bristol
Dr Raffaello Rossi, a senior lecturer at the University of Bristol, welcomed the update, describing it as an important (albeit overdue) — step towards improved consumer protection.

Rossi, alongside other academics, had sent ‘several letters’ to the ASA to highlight the loophole in 2021, noting that gambling operators could avoid UK social media advertising regulations simply by relocating registered offices abroad.

“This is an important, though long overdue step for consumer protection and regulatory consistency in UK advertising.

Until now, social media advertising by some of the largest gambling operators — such as Paddy Power, Bet365 or Ladbrokes — often fell outside the remit of the ASA, because their businesses were registered abroad, even though they held a UK gambling licence.”

Dr Rossi thanked colleagues at the Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms Research, University of Bristol Business School, the APPG on Gambling Reform, Sanya Burgess, and Lord Foster of Bath for supporting the initiative.

UK gambling licences were informed that CAP will review the impact of the extended remit following a three-month period, deemed a timeframe that is necessary, given that the changes primarily affect a narrow category of non-paid social media content. Furthermore changes are not expected to be applied to a broader range of advertisers.