Consumer News: Truecaller launches free tool to check suspicious links and phone numbers

Scam Checker brings phone lookups, link checks, and reports from other users into one place

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Truecaller has launched a free Scam Checker that examines suspicious phone numbers, web links, and scam descriptions.

• The tool is available on Truecallers website worldwide without an account. Its Android app rollout has begun in India.

• A safe result is one signal, not a reason to trust an unexpected call or message.

A text says you owe a toll. Another claims theres a problem with a delivery. Before clicking the link or calling the number, consumers now have another way to check whether the message resembles a known scam.

Truecaller, the company behind CallerID, has launched Scam Checker, a free tool that lets users search a phone number, examine a web link, or describe a suspicious encounter in their own words. It draws on Truecallers detection systems and scam reports submitted by its users to show relevant warnings and accounts of similar experiences.

Someone who receives a text about an unpaid toll could copy its web address into Scam Checker without opening the link. They could also search the senders number or look for reports describing the same demand. Truecaller says its link checker considers signals including community reports, known phishing databases, and information about the website.

The web version is available globally and does not require a Truecaller account. The company says Scam Checker is also launching in its Android app in India, with more markets and iOS support planned later. More detailed information about a searched phone number, such as an associated name, requires use of Truecallers existing service.

People often sense that something is wrong, but they need a quick way to check before responding, Truecaller CEO Rishit Jhunjhunwala said in the companys announcement.

Truecaller also plans to add screenshot uploads and expand the types of the tool can assess. Those features are not part of the announced launch.

What consumers should keep in mind

Scam Checker can help uncover a reported threat, but a result marked safe should not settle the question on its own. A new scam may not yet have been reported, and a callers apparent identity does not prove that the person contacting you is legitimate.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises consumers not to click links in unexpected texts or use the contact information supplied in them.

If a message claims to be from a bank, delivery company, or toll agency, contact that organization through a phone number or website you already know is real. Scam texts can be reported using a phones report junk feature or forwarded to 7726 (SPAM).