EE and BT Group have praised advancements in AI to help combat SMS scam attempts in time for Super Saturday [23 December], the busiest day for scams.

According to the mobile phone service provider, it has already blocked 45 million scam texts this year and predicts an extra 5 million in December.

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Commenting on the figures EE Director Regulatory Affairs for the Consumer division at BT Group, Jonny Bunt said, despite new security technology updates installed this year, “the battle is never won, and some will always make it through.”

Some of these new updates included International SMS blocking, blocking of trusted routes, and Enhanced Call Protection, alongside, AI reinforcement.

Instead, he said: “Our investments in AI are helping hugely, but we would be nothing without the vigilance of our customers.”

“With deliveries piling up on the doorstep, scammers will be looking for ways to take advantage of the festive frenzy,” he added.

“As one of the UK’s first lines of defence against SMS scam texts, we have a clear sight of the threat level here at BT and EE and are already seeing a concerning spike in delivery scams in particular.”

Instead, he encouraged everyone to “take a couple of minutes to remind themselves of the signs, and to report suspicious texts for free to 7726.”