Truecaller now lets you hang up on scammers — on behalf of your family

Truecaller, the popular caller identification platform, has introduced an innovative feature designed to help families protect one another from scam calls. This new capability allows a designated family member to act as an admin within a group, receiving alerts about fraudulent calls aimed at other members and even the ability to terminate calls if there's a risk of a scam. Initially launched in December in select countries such as Sweden, Chile, Malaysia, and Kenya, the feature has now been rolled out globally, including in India, where Truecaller boasts its largest user base of over 450 million. The functionality is available free of charge, enabling users to form groups without needing a premium subscription. In this setup, the tech-savvy individual within a family or friend group can become the admin of a group consisting of up to five members. Once those members join, the admin receives alerts about any suspected fraudulent calls. If the admin identifies a potential scam, they can end the call remotely. Notably, while alerts are accessible for both iOS and Android users, call termination is currently limited to Android devices. Additionally, Android users can provide the admin with access to real-time data, such as their activity status (walking or driving), battery level, and sound settings, ensuring that the admin can contact them at the most opportune moments. The admin also has the ability to block specific numbers and share a blocklist with group members, although they cannot access call history or SMS records of the group members. Kunal Dua, Truecaller's VP of Product, emphasized the importance of this feature, stating, "Unfortunately, many of us know someone who has been affected by fraud. This represents a significant shift in Truecaller’s approach to tackling this issue." Truecaller is also exploring AI-driven enhancements for family protection, potentially enabling the admin to receive alerts about the nature of scam calls received by group members. Last year, the company introduced a voicemail feature for Indian users, utilizing AI to summarize missed calls when users are unavailable. With the rise in scam calls resulting in significant financial losses in India, Truecaller reported identifying over 7.7 billion fraudulent calls last year. Authorities have initiated various measures, including the contentious SIM binding policy, which may hinder apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. Despite facing challenges, such as a significant dip in stock value and changes brought by India’s Caller Name Presentation (CNAP) system, Truecaller is committed to delivering a superior product. CEO Rishit Jhunjhunwala noted, "While CNAP is being partially rolled out, its impact on our user growth has been minimal so far. Our focus remains on providing valuable solutions beyond just caller identification." As Truecaller continues to navigate these challenges, the new family protection feature represents a proactive step towards empowering users and enhancing safety against the growing threat of scam calls.