EE recruits Grime Gran and Debrett’s to help the nation fight back against Christmas scammers

• EE partners with Debrett's and Grime Gran to launch Mind Your Manners, a modern etiquette guide helping Brits confidently shut down scammers this Christmas.
• The guide reframes classic British politeness for the digital age, reminding people that shutting down any suspicious message, call or contact isn't rude - it's responsible.
• As the UK's best network for safety, EE blocks 3 million scam attempts every day across its network and stops hundreds of millions of malicious texts, emails and unsafe websites year-round.

EE flags one million scam calls every day and is partnering with etiquette experts Debrett's and internet icon Grime Granto launch Mind Your Manners: a modern etiquette guide to help people spot and stop scammers this festive season.

With families hosting and guesting over Christmas, the festive season can be non-stop. But scammers are busy too, calling, texting and messaging at the least convenient moments, relying on people being too polite to hang up or too embarrassed to challenge them. With spoofed numbers, fake delivery alerts and pressure tactics becoming increasingly convincing, the line between British politeness and personal protection is more important than ever.

To help, EE has brought together two ends of the British manners' spectrum:

• Debrett's, the trusted custodians of traditional etiquette, ensuring the guidance is formally endorsed as "proper" behaviour.
• Grime Gran, known for her blunt, no-nonsense honesty, delivering the message the way most people wish they could.

Together, they make one thing clear: if it feels like a scam, good manners mean being firmly but kindly suspicious.

EE already blocks millions of suspicious calls and texts every month, with its network identifying over one million calls every day as potential fraud or spam. Its real-time detection tool, Scam Guard, labels and filters suspicious calls the moment they come in, giving customers the confidence to ignore them before they ever pick up.

Across BT Group, EE's scam protection is backed by significant network innovation. Over the last 12 months, the Group's team of more than 3,000 security professionals have blocked 1.6 billion attempts to access malicious domains, stopped 200 million scam SMS messages, blocked 61 million scam calls, and flagged a further 175 million nuisance and fraud calls to keep customers protected. These capabilities are powered by advanced machine learning and network-level threat analysis, which monitor call, SMS and web patterns in real time to identify spoofing, unusual activity and coordinated fraud attempts.

By stopping scams at source - and through close collaboration with industry and government bodies, including initiatives aligned with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) - EE continues to lead the UK's fight against scam calls, texts and online fraud.

"Scams are growing in sophistication - and our network must stay one step ahead," said Malcolm Cubitt at BT Group's Consumer Division. "For EE, taking a stand against scams means leading the way to invest in advanced scam protection and education, so customers can feel safer on our network. We believe that fraud can only be fought together, and EE is proud to be part of a cross-industry alliance to share intelligence on scams. Our latest team up with Debrett's and Grime Gran sends a clear message: no matter your style, everyone can do their bit to spot and stop scams."

Debrett's helped shape and endorse the guide to ensure it reflects how modern etiquette must adapt to the digital landscape. "For more than two centuries, Debrett's has guided British standards of behaviour," Rupert Wesson, Director at Debrett's said. "Today, good manners include knowing how to stop a suspicious call or report a strange text. We're proud to endorse this guidance - protecting yourself is not impolite, it's entirely proper."

Margie Keefe, AKA Grime Gran, brings her trademark straight-talking, no-nonsense approach to the campaign: "I don't sugar-coat things - scammers don't deserve your time or your manners. If something feels off, don't play ball. Simple. This guide gives everyone the confidence to beat the scammers."

Five Debrett's-Endorsed Modern Manners for a Scam-Safe Christmas

1. Be courteous, not compliant

   If a call comes out of the blue and doesn't feel right, politely end it and call the company back on a trusted number.

2. Practice the 'polite pause'

   Scam texts and emails look increasingly real. Take a moment before clicking or replying - and check details carefully.

3. Keep private details private

   Passwords, PINs, verification codes and even your mobile number should never be shared by phone or text. Treat them like your house keys.

4. Good manners mean you're never rushed

   Urgency is a classic red flag. You almost always have time to check with a friend or family member before acting.

5. Do your bit: update, report, block

   Forward suspicious texts to 7726, block the sender, and encourage loved ones to keep devices updated to protect others too.

As the UK's best network, EE is committed to helping everyone stay safer online.

From blocking unwanted calls to reporting suspicious texts to 7726, the Mind Your Manners guide makes it easier to protect yourself - and support loved ones - throughout the festive season.

Stay scam-safe this Christmas. Get the full guide at: https://www.ee.co.uk/mind-your-manners

About EE:

EE is the UK's best network, offering superfast mobile and broadband connection to millions across the UK. With an ambition to be the country's most trusted connector of people, EE's network and services keep consumers connected and entertained.

EE's 4G, 5G and 5GSA speeds cover more than 90% of the UK, while EE's super reliable broadband is available at more than 99% of UK premises, with guaranteed speeds to keep people streaming, gaming, watching TV and connecting to the things that matter most.

EE's mobile network continues to receive extensive recognition including UK's best overall network by RootMetrics® every year since 2014, as well as being named Best Network for Consumers at the Mobile Industry Awards for the last four years since 2022.

EE is committed to offering first class service in the industry and has nearly 400 stores across the UK. In 2023, EE launched its new experiential retail strategy opening its flagship EE Studio and Experience stores nationwide. The innovative approach to retail in the telco industry has seen EE receive multiple awards of recognition including Retailer of the Year at the Mobile Industry Awards in 2024 and 2025, and Best New Store for the EE Studio at the Retail Week Awards in 2024.

EE remains the only mobile provider to answer 100% of customer calls in the UK and Ireland and was recognised for putting people and culture at the heart of the company at the Cnect Wales Awards in 2025.

EE is part of BT Group's Consumer business unit which provides products and services to all of BT's consumer customers in the UK.

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