Truecaller plans to offer its caller identification service on messaging apps like WhatsApp to help users identify spam calls over the internet, Reuters news report.
The feature is currently in beta and will be released worldwide in May. Truecaller CEO Alan Mamedi stated that telemarketing and scam calls have increased in countries like India, where the average user receives about 17 spam calls per month, as reported by Truecaller in 2021.
The Indian telecom regulator has directed carriers like Jio and Airtel to use artificial intelligence filters to block telemarketing calls over their networks. Truecaller is in discussions with telecom operators to implement such a solution.
The company has received reports from Indian users about spam calls on WhatsApp, which is the most widely used messaging platform in India.
Truecaller has 250 million users in India, its largest market, and 350 million users worldwide. The company generates revenue from advertising, subscription services, and verified listings from businesses.
Americans have received 225 billion (+157 percent) robotexts in 2022, according to Robokiller’s annual phone scam report. The number of robocalls reached 78 billion (+8 percent) in 2022
Americans have lost $65 billion to robocalls in 2022, more than double that of 2021. According to the FTC, the money lost per phone scam is $1,500.
U.S. consumers received just over 4.5 billion robocalls in April 2022. A YouMail survey suggested that imposter scam calls alone have reached over 200 million Americans. These scams have led to over $40 billion in direct financial loss.
