Truecaller launches AI tool to protect users from SMS fraud

In recent days, there has been a significant increase in the number of reported SMS fraud cases across the country. Scammers send fraudulent text messages to unsuspecting people, asking them to update their bank account, PAN, Aadhaar or other related documents. These messages trick people into falling for scammers' schemes and potentially compromising their personal and financial information. While police and cyber cells continually warn people and raise awareness about viral scams, Truecaller recently launched a new feature that will use AI-powered tools to help warn people of potential fraudulent numbers.

"When it comes to scams and fraud, you are not alone! We estimate that over 100 million people using Truecaller have received at least one fraudulent SMS over the past three months. These frauds range from electricity bill payments, banks, job offers, KYC related, loans, charity, lottery and many other types," says Truecaller.

So, to help users with SMS fraud web and potential scams via mobile devices, Truecaller's new AI-powered fraud protection tool 'Fraud Protection' uses user feedback and machine learning to combat fraudulent messages and senders. The fraud protection tool is handy for people who have difficulty detecting fraud and mistakenly believe they are dealing with legitimate businesses.

In particular, Truecaller's fraud protection tool is currently available for all Android users and is expected to be available for iPhone users. The tool is said to recognise fraudulent senders and messages effectively. The company further says that its fraud protection system is also tailored to automatically discover new forms of fraud, even without user reports.

How Truecaller Fraud Protection Works

Truecaller fraud protection tool is free and available to all Android users in India. As for how the new AI tool works, the company revealed that for every fraudulent message a user receives, Truecaller would display a marked red notification, warning the user not to take action.

The notification will remain on the screen until manually dismissed. It is important to note that Truecaller does not load any messages. All processing happens locally on the device with the help of AI filters. And even if a user does not see the warning and opens the fraudulent SMS, the Truecaller AI tool will automatically disable all links linked to that SMS to protect users from malicious links. However, if the SMS is secure, users can manually check the sender's security to access all links attached. In this way, the company offers another layer of protection against fraud.