Understanding Voxbone's VoIP services and dealing with unwanted calls from their network
Warning: Voxbone numbers are frequently misused by scammers
Exercise extreme caution with calls from Voxbone numbers, especially unsolicited offers
Founded: 2005 (Acquired by Bandwidth 2020)
Status: Now part of Bandwidth, Inc.
Original HQ: Brussels, Belgium
Services: VoIP, Cloud Communications
Voxbone is a wholesale VoIP provider now owned by Bandwidth Inc.
Voxbone SA was a Belgian cloud telecommunications company founded in 2005 that provided Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services to businesses worldwide. In November 2020, Voxbone was acquired by Bandwidth Inc., a major American communications platform company, for €446 million.
Voxbone provided services to major technology companies including Uber, Zoom, Skype, Dialpad, 8x8, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, and Orange.
Provides local phone numbers to businesses that can be used from anywhere in the world
Routes incoming calls over the internet to the customer's systems or applications
Allows businesses to appear local in multiple countries without physical presence
Voxbone numbers are extensively used by scammers:
Users report inadequate customer screening:
VoIP technology allows scammers to bypass protections:
Many users report receiving hundreds of unwanted calls from different Voxbone numbers, with scammers using multiple numbers to circumvent blocking attempts. The elderly and vulnerable are particularly targeted.
Since Voxbone is now part of Bandwidth Inc.:
Many users report that Voxbone/Bandwidth has been unresponsive to abuse complaints. Focus on reporting to official authorities like Action Fraud who have the power to investigate and take action.
Voxbone numbers are among the most misused in the UK for scam activities. Never trust unsolicited calls from these numbers, especially offers for free services or investment opportunities.
Assume any unexpected call offering free services or asking for personal information is a scam.
If a caller claims to represent a company, hang up and call the company directly using their official number.
Report all suspicious Voxbone calls to Action Fraud to help protect others and build cases against scammers.
Not all, but the vast majority of unsolicited calls from Voxbone numbers reported by consumers are scams. Legitimate businesses do use Voxbone services, but they rarely make cold calls to consumers.
VoIP technology allows scammers to obtain local-looking numbers easily and cheaply, bypass TPS filtering, and operate from anywhere in the world while appearing to call from the UK.
Contact your bank immediately if you've given financial information, report to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, and consider seeking advice from Citizens Advice. Keep all records of the scam.
User reports suggest limited responsiveness from Voxbone/Bandwidth to abuse complaints. Many users report that scammers continue operating even after multiple reports.
Unfortunately, there's no single way to block all Voxbone numbers as they can use various number ranges. Use call-blocking apps, register with TPS, and block individual numbers as they call.