Truecaller caller ID and spam protection for WhatsApp were announced today. The announcement came from the company’s co-founder, who revealed that the protection will be available to all users at no extra cost in the coming month. Namil Zarringham quote retweeted the CNBC-TV18 tweet reporting the WhatsApp scam calls and messages, which have been rampant lately. The frequency of these calls and messages increased manifold after TRAI asked telcos to use AI-powered protection against scam calls. Read ahead to learn more about the Truecaller caller ID and spam protection for WhatsApp.
Truecaller Caller ID is Now on WhatsApp
If you’re getting spam and scam calls and messages on WA, don’t worry, we @Truecaller got your back. Caller ID and spam protection will be available shortly and for free https://t.co/AfpeLvtIQH
— Nami Zarringhalam (@Zarringhalam) May 8, 2023
A little background before we delve further, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked telecom operators in India to reduce the number of scam calls using AI solutions. As a result, telecom operators introduced AI Filter spam in India to curb these scam calls and messages. Truecaller also launched AI-powered SMS fraud protection in addition to its existing caller ID service worldwide.
This resulted in scammers targeting WhatsApp users, who complained of receiving unwanted WhatsApp videos and voice calls from unknown international numbers from Vietnam, Indonesia, and Mali. Scammers used VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) numbers or SIM cards bought from these countries to target unsuspecting users. Recently, a Twitter user went viral for sharing her screenshots with one such scammer who offered her Rs 150 for liking YouTube videos.
Considering the menacing nature of such scam calls and messages, Truecaller has now announced that it will partner with WhatsApp and other messaging apps to nip these scam calls. While the Truecaller CSO has announced that Truecaller WhatsApp spam protection will roll out soon, the CEO Alan Mamedi has confirmed to Reuters that the feature is currently in beta and will be rolled out globally later in May. According to Mamedi, there has been a spike in user reports about spam calls over WhatsApp in India over the last two weeks. This confirms that the scammers are now targeting WhatsApp users after the telcos implemented AI Filter Spam.
WhatsApp has also proactively launched its Ensuring User Safety in India on WhatsApp campaign for users worldwide. The blog post explains how to use WhatsApp features properly and stay secure online. The Meta-owned platform asks users to use two-step verification, biometrics lock, group privacy settings, and more.
Have you also received scam calls and messages on your WhatsApp number lately, and how did you tackle them? Let us know in the comments section below.
