Truecaller Launches Scam Checker to Detect Suspicious Links, Numbers and Messages

Truecaller on Sunday announced Scam Checker as a new service to help users assess potential scams before interacting with suspicious messages, links, or phone numbers. The company says its new feature brings its scam detection capabilities in one place and allows users to check a web link, look up a phone number, or search reports shared by the community. It is said to be designed as an expansion of Truecaller's existing identification and spam protection capabilities.

Truecaller Scam Checker Details Explained

In a newsroom post, Truecaller said that Scam Checker offers tools that can be used when users encounter a suspicious message or potential fraud attempt. It combines scam-detection capabilities with community intelligence from its user base of 500 million people.

Users can check a suspicious link for signs that it may be malicious or associated with a phishing attempt. They can also search for a phone number to see what Truecaller's detection systems and community signals indicate about it.

The service also includes access to Scamfeed reports. This allows users to search for similar scams reported by other members of the community. This, as per Truecaller, can potentially help them find reports describing fraud attempts that resemble the message or situation they have encountered.

Apart from this, users can also register their own concerns, and the service will return relevant results based on the query. This includes checks for links or phone numbers mentioned in it, as well as related community reports.

Scam Checker's capabilities are centred around three common elements found in suspicious messages — a phone number, a link, and the story or context surrounding the request. With the new service, users can investigate them within the same destination instead of checking them separately.

Announcing Scam Checker, Rishit Jhunjhunwala, CEO of Truecaller, said, “Scam Checker brings together our detection capabilities and what our community has reported so that people can investigate a suspicious link, number or story in one place.”

The company also plans to expand Scam Checker with broader coverage of scam techniques, support for screenshot uploads for more detailed analysis, and user authentication and additional capabilities in the future.

At present, Truecaller Scam Checker is rolling out on the Android app. Its web version is available globally, too. Truecaller will expand availability to additional markets, while also bringing iOS support at a later date.