What's going on
Your phone rings from what looks like an ordinary UK mobile number. When you answer, or when you check your voicemail, a recorded voice says something like "Hello, I have a part-time job opportunity available. Please add me on WhatsApp." Then the call ends.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is now investigating these calls. It told BBC Radio 4's You and Yours that it received more than 3,600 complaints about automated calls in September 2026, a five-year high and nearly three times July's figure. It believes millions of people are getting them.
CallerCheck has seen the same surge in the reports people send us, and it started earlier than September.
What CallerCheck's reports show
4.2×
as many reports in September (228) as in July (54)
1 in 14
of all reports in September, up from 1 in 74 in the first half of 2026
99%
came from UK mobile numbers (507 of 512 reports since July)
221
different numbers behind 228 reports in September
"Add me on WhatsApp" calls jumped to 1 in 14 CallerCheck reports
Share of all reports to CallerCheck that mention WhatsApp, by month, 2026
* October covers 1 to 8 October only. Source: CallerCheck community reports.
From January to June, people sent us about 27 reports a month about callers asking to be added on WhatsApp. That rose to 54 in July, then jumped to 183 in August and 228 in September. So our reports were already climbing steeply a month before the ICO's complaints hit their five-year high.
This isn't simply more people using CallerCheck. Our total reports grew by about half between July and September, while reports about these calls more than quadrupled. Early October is running at a similar level, so the calls haven't stopped. You can read every one of them on our WhatsApp reports page.
What people are telling us
"Automated message claiming to be from Indeed Human Resources, asking me to contact them about a job, and asking me to add them on WhatsApp. A real job agent would be wanting to speak to me directly, not using an automated message to get me on WhatsApp."
"Automated call simply saying "hello, I have a part time job opportunity available. Please add me on WhatsApp", then they hung up."
"I don't know how many calls from different numbers with the same robot I've received. It's a robot voice saying to add the number to WhatsApp for some job opportunity or something. I'm so tired of receiving these calls every couple of days."
"Called and left a voicemail about a job and to message on WhatsApp. Called back and it said the number isn't recognised."
"Wanted to offer a part-time job after calling a couple of times. I returned the call but it wouldn't go through, so it messaged me on WhatsApp asking for personal information and offering the job."
Reports lightly edited for spelling. The numbers shown are very likely spoofed, so the person who owns each number is probably not the caller.
How the scam works
A robocall from a spoofed UK mobile
Automated systems dial huge numbers of people. The number on your screen is faked, or spoofed, so it looks like an ordinary 07 mobile. Several of our reporters who rang back found the number wasn't in use.
A job offer as the hook
The recording offers part-time or flexible work. Some claim to be from "HR" without naming a company. Others claim to be from a well-known jobs site such as Indeed, often to people who have never used it.
The move to WhatsApp
Once you add the number, the conversation moves to an encrypted app. As Simon Fell of the Communications Crime Strategy Group told the BBC, anything said there can't be investigated further. When You and Yours added one of the numbers, it received a message about a "flexible part-time opportunity" with "quite good" earnings.
The real aim
Industry experts say the most likely outcome is a recruitment scam. That can mean a fake job that asks you to pay fees, a request for personal and bank details, or money muling, where criminals pass stolen money through your account. Even replying tells them your number is active, which makes it worth more to other criminals.
Why blocking the number isn't enough
In September, 228 reports to CallerCheck involved 221 different numbers. Almost nobody reported the same number twice, because the callers rotate through spoofed numbers. Block one and the next call comes from another.
Blocking still does no harm, but a setting that silences unknown callers works better against this kind of campaign. Our guide to blocking unwanted calls shows how to set it up, and our guide to caller ID spoofing explains why the number on your screen can't be trusted. The government has said it will tackle spoofing under its Telecommunications Charter by November 2026.
What to do if you get one of these calls
Hang up and don't add the number
Don't add it on WhatsApp, reply or call back. If it has already been added, delete the chat and block the contact in WhatsApp.
Silence unknown callers
Both iPhone and WhatsApp can silence calls from numbers that aren't in your contacts. Genuine callers can still leave a voicemail.
Report the call
Report it to the ICO, which is investigating these calls, and add it to CallerCheck so the next person who looks the number up is warned.
Never move money for a job
No real job asks you to pay a fee upfront or to receive money and send it on. If you already have, call your bank on 159 straight away and report it to Action Fraud.
Frequently Asked Questions
I answered the call. Am I at risk?
I added the number on WhatsApp. What now?
Is the person who owns the number behind the call?
Is this the same as the "Hi Mum" WhatsApp scam?
Where do CallerCheck's figures come from?
Quick Summary
How to spot it
- • A recorded voice, not a person
- • A vague part-time job offer
- • "HR" or a jobs site, but no company or role
- • Asks you to add the number on WhatsApp
- • A different UK mobile number every time
What to do
- • Hang up and don't add the number
- • Silence unknown callers
- • Report it to the ICO and CallerCheck
- • Never pay for a job or move money for one
- • Call 159 if you've shared bank details