The UK's telephone network is going through its biggest change in decades: the old copper landline network is being switched off, with the changeover due to complete by January 2027. Landlines aren't disappearing — they're moving onto digital technology that works over a broadband connection. For most households the switch is straightforward.
But wherever there's a big, confusing, well-publicised change, there's a scam built on top of it. And this one is aimed squarely at the people most likely to depend on their landline: older people.
How the scam works
The call, email, or sometimes doorstep visit claims to be from BT or another phone provider. The script varies, but the core moves are:
- "We need to confirm your personal and payment details before your switchover." They don't. The switchover doesn't require you to hand over bank details to an incoming caller.
- "There's a fee to move you to the digital service." There isn't. The switchover itself is free of charge — no provider charges simply to migrate a line.
- "If you don't act now, you'll be disconnected." The threat of losing the phone line is the pressure point, and it's especially frightening for someone who relies on the landline for contact with family or for a personal alarm service. Scammers have even quoted official-sounding deadlines to force an immediate decision.
Some victims have been talked into immediate payments; in one earlier case of BT impersonation, an elderly man lost £30,000. The switchover has simply given a familiar impersonation scam a fresh, plausible story.
What the real switchover actually involves
It helps to know what genuinely happens, so the fake version stands out:
- Your provider contacts customers in advance — BT, for instance, notifies people about four weeks before their move — and the process for most homes is as simple as plugging the phone into the broadband router.
- You keep your number in almost all cases.
- It's free. Nobody should ever be asked to pay simply to be switched over.
- If someone in the household is vulnerable or depends on the landline — including anyone using a telecare pendant or personal alarm — providers have committed to extra protections, including engineer visits where needed. This is also genuinely worth checking proactively: some older alarm devices need updating for the digital line, and your parent's provider or alarm company can confirm theirs.
What to tell your parents, in one sentence
Nobody legitimate will ever ring you about the landline switchover and ask for a payment or your bank details — if they do, hang up.
If a call leaves any doubt, the safe move is always the same: hang up, find the provider's real number on a recent bill, and call them directly. Never use a number the caller provides. And a caution specific to this scam — because the old copper network can hold a line open briefly after you hang up, it's safest to wait a few minutes, or use a different phone, before making that check call.
Suspicious texts about the switchover can be forwarded free to 7726, and anyone who's handed over details or money should contact their bank straight away and report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. Our guide to helping a parent check a suspicious message covers the general warning signs in more depth.
Someone to ask before saying yes
The switchover scam works because it arrives with authority, urgency, and a threat — at a moment when there's no one around to ask "does this sound right to you?" Ivy by WorryLess exists to be that someone: a voice-first assistant your parent can talk to about a call they've just received, and get a calm, plain-English answer about whether it matches how the real switchover works — before any details are shared.
If this sounds like something your parent could use, Ivy by WorryLess is now in early access. Find out more.