Articles — VoIP Regulation

VoIP virtual numbers and the regulation gap — why fake locksmiths keep operating

Six virtual number networks have been documented operating fake locksmith listings across London. Ofcom has powers to disconnect them. The powers exist. The action has not happened. Here is why — and what needs to change.

The six documented fake locksmith number networks

A VoIP virtual number can be purchased online for pennies with no identity verification. It carries a London 020 area code to appear geographically local while having no connection to the area it advertises in. Six prefix blocks have been documented as being used exclusively by fake locksmith listings across London.

The regulation gap — powers exist but are not used

Ofcom has powers under the Communications Act 2003 to require telecoms providers to disconnect number blocks used for systematic fraud. In April 2026 Ofcom launched its Organised Crime Communications unit specifically to tackle coordinated number network misuse.

These six prefix blocks have been used for fake locksmith listings for years. The evidence is documented publicly at locksmithscams.co.uk. Ofcom has not yet acted. The regulation gap is not a lack of powers — it is a lack of coordinated enforcement using those powers.

Report the number — text 7726

Text any suspicious number to 7726 — free from any UK mobile. This reports the number to your network provider who shares it with Ofcom. Enough reports and the number gets blocked at network level across all UK networks. Every report contributes.