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The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today fined telecoms provider Tismi (Tismi BV) £437,500 for failing to prevent misuse of its phone numbers by scammers. The move comes after their June 2025 decision, which directed the company to “block all calls and messages” sent to or from specific mobile numbers allocated to it by the regulator after they were “linked to serious fraud or misuse“ (this was implemented).
The original investigation, which was launched in October 2024 (here), occurred because Ofcom had cause to deem it necessary to assess whether the company had failed in its duty to ensure that phone numbers allocated to it are not being misused, including to perpetrate scams.
The probe reflected the fact that Ofcom had previously launched an enforcement programme during February 2024 to ensure that UK telephone and text companies were using phone numbers efficiently and effectively. This formed a complementary part of their effort to strengthen existing rules against the use of “fake phone numbers” and “spoofed calls“, which included a measure for phone providers (fixed line and mobile) to introduce stricter controls against “Presentation Numbers” that are used to identify who is making a call (here).