The Vidicode eSIM service is an AI-powered mobile security solution designed to protect elderly and vulnerable mobile users from phone scams. It installs on your existing smartphone using an eSIM — a digital SIM that runs alongside your current network — and works silently in the background without requiring any action from the user.

Every incoming and outgoing call is automatically recorded and analysed by artificial intelligence in real time. If the AI detects language associated with fraud — such as requests for bank details, demands for immediate payment, or phrases commonly used by scammers — it sends an instant email alert to designated family members. A full written transcript of every call is also made available, creating a clear record that can be reviewed at any time.

No. That is one of the most important features of the service. There is nothing to learn, no button to press, and no action required at the moment a suspicious call arrives. The protection works entirely automatically in the background.

This is crucial because scammers are highly skilled at creating panic and confusion, making it extremely difficult for anyone — regardless of age — to recognise fraud in the moment. The Vidicode system does not rely on the user spotting the danger. It monitors, records, and alerts family members automatically, so the protection is always on.

No. Your existing mobile phone number is fully retained when you switch to the Vidicode eSIM service. This is an important point for many families, as changing a number can cause significant disruption for elderly users who have shared their number with friends, family, healthcare providers, and other important contacts over many years.

The service does require a change of mobile network provider, but the number porting process is managed as part of the setup and your loved one's number moves across seamlessly.

The AI keyword monitoring is trained to detect language patterns associated with the most common phone scams targeting people in later life, including:

• Bank impersonation fraud — callers posing as fraud teams asking victims to move money to a "safe account"
• HMRC and government scams — threats of arrest or legal action to extort immediate payment
• AI voice cloning — criminals using synthesised voices to impersonate family members in distress
• Rental deposit fraud — collecting advance fees for properties the fraudster has no right to let
• Prize and lottery scams — demanding a fee or tax to release a non-existent prize
• Pension and investment fraud — promises of unrealistic returns to access retirement savings

Families can also add custom keywords specific to their loved one's circumstances, for example the name of an institution the user would never legitimately deal with.

Designated family members receive an email alert immediately after a call containing suspicious keywords ends. The alert is delivered promptly enough for a family member to telephone their loved one whilst the conversation is still fresh and before any action — such as transferring money or sharing bank details — has been taken.

Multiple family members or trusted contacts can be designated to receive alerts, so if one person is unavailable, someone else will be notified. The full call transcript is also made available at the same time, giving family members the context they need to respond appropriately.

An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a digital SIM card that is built into the phone itself. Rather than a physical plastic SIM card that needs to be inserted, an eSIM is activated electronically. It performs exactly the same function as a traditional SIM card but can be set up remotely without any physical handling.

eSIM technology is supported by the majority of smartphones released in the last four to five years, including Apple iPhone XS and later models, and a wide range of Android devices from manufacturers including Samsung, Google, and others. If you are unsure whether your relative's phone supports eSIM, contact us and we will be happy to advise.

The service costs £22 per month, with everything included. There are no hidden charges, no separate fees for individual features, and no long-term lock-in contract. The monthly fee covers:

• eSIM activation on your existing mobile phone
• Unlimited call recording and automatic transcription
• AI keyword monitoring and real-time scam detection
• Instant email alerts to designated family members
• Customisable call blocking for known scam numbers
• Free unlimited calls to all UK mobiles and landlines
• Regular security and feature updates

Charges may apply to calls to Premium Rate Numbers. For anything that is not a standard UK mobile or landline number, standard rates will be applied.

In the UK, it is legal for individuals to record telephone calls they are party to for personal use, including for the purpose of protecting themselves from fraud. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) permits recording of communications by one of the parties to that communication.

The Vidicode eSIM service is designed for personal protection and security monitoring by family members of the account holder. Recordings and transcripts are used to identify potential fraud and to support any subsequent report to the police or Action Fraud. They are not shared with third parties or used for any commercial purpose.

If you have specific questions about the legal position for your circumstances, we recommend seeking independent legal advice.

Yes. The service includes customisable call blocking at the network level, which means unwanted calls are stopped before they ever reach your relative's phone. Family members can manage the blocked numbers list remotely through the family portal, without the user needing to do anything on their handset.

Specific numbers, number ranges (such as international prefixes commonly used by scammers), and known fraud numbers can all be blocked. This proactively reduces the volume of nuisance and scam calls reaching your loved one, lowering their exposure to fraud attempts and reducing anxiety.

AI voice cloning is an increasingly common and particularly distressing form of fraud in which criminals use artificial intelligence to replicate the voice of a family member — often a son, daughter, or grandchild — and call their victim claiming to be in an emergency. The "relative" explains they are in trouble, need money urgently, and asks the victim not to tell anyone else. A quarter of reported scam calls in the UK now use AI-generated voices.

The Vidicode system detects the language and keywords associated with this type of fraud — urgency, secrecy, requests for money, instructions not to contact others — and alerts family members immediately. Even if the voice sounds convincing, the language patterns of this scam are consistent and identifiable by the AI monitoring system.

All call recordings and transcripts are stored securely in Vidicode UK's UK-based datacentre. Data is held in the United Kingdom and is not transferred to servers outside the UK or European Economic Area.

Access to recordings and transcripts is restricted to designated family members and trusted contacts who have been authorised by the account holder. Vidicode UK handles all personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Recordings can be used as evidence in the event of a complaint or report to Action Fraud or the police.

BT Openreach is phasing out the UK's copper telephone network — the traditional landline infrastructure that has been in place for over a century. The planned completion date for the full national switch to digital (VoIP-based) services is January 2027, and many areas across the UK are already completing this change ahead of the deadline, affecting over 7 million premises.

For mobile users, this does not directly affect mobile calls. However, many elderly people still rely on a traditional landline for calls and may need to make decisions about their telephone arrangements before 2027. Switching to the Vidicode eSIM service now means your relative gains the most advanced call protection available on a modern digital network, with no disruption to their mobile phone number or handset.

The service is specifically designed for people who are not technically confident. Once set up, the user does not need to interact with the service at all — it runs entirely in the background without any apps to open, buttons to press, or settings to manage.

The initial setup process is straightforward and is supported by the Vidicode UK team throughout. All technical management — including adding blocked numbers, adjusting keyword alerts, and viewing transcripts — is handled by family members through the secure family portal, completely separately from your relative's handset. Our UK-based support team is available Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:30, on 020 3488 1498 should you need any assistance.

Yes. One of the significant advantages of the Vidicode service is that every call creates a clear audio recording and written transcript that can be used as evidence when reporting fraud. Scam calls should be reported to Action Fraud (the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime) on 0300 123 2040 or at actionfraud.police.uk, and to your local police on 101 if money has already been transferred.

Having a full recording and transcript of the fraudulent call significantly strengthens any report and may assist investigators in identifying and prosecuting the criminals responsible. Vidicode can assist in extracting and providing the relevant recordings upon request.

Standard network-level scam filters provided by mobile operators typically work by blocking calls from numbers that have been reported as fraudulent. This is a reactive measure — it only blocks numbers that are already known to be problematic. Sophisticated scammers frequently rotate telephone numbers to avoid these filters entirely.

The Vidicode service takes a fundamentally different approach. Rather than relying on a blocklist of known numbers, the AI analyses the content of every conversation in real time and alerts family members based on what is actually being said. This means it can identify brand-new fraud attempts from numbers that have never been reported before, making it significantly more effective against the most sophisticated and up-to-date scam techniques.