Many people are receiving calls from local looking starting with 03 numbers. You answer because it might be important. Instead, there is total silence. This is not a mistake. It is deliberate. Police warn that some of these calls are used to record voices for cloning.
Most of these calls come from automated systems known as dialers, specifically predictive phone dialer systems. When you answer, the system confirms that your number is active, adds it to a target list, and may record your voice for AI voice cloning purposes.
Voice cloning is increasingly used as an attack vector to scam people. A short sample of just 3 to 5 seconds of your voice is enough to create a convincing clone. Many tools exist that can be misused for this purpose, including Suno AI and Android based text to speech and voice cloning applications. These tools enable attackers to impersonate individuals and carry out fraud.
If you receive a silent call, hang up immediately. Avoid calling back, as doing so can connect you to scammers or premium rate lines.
Block the number and use call filters or spam detection apps. Treat your phone number like sensitive information don’t give scammers any chance to exploit it.
The numbers are in the 03-2735* block.