Telecom operator T-Mobile has started offering free Scam ID and Scam Block features to protect its wireless users from scam calls.
ALSO READ: T-Mobile and patent-pending scam technology
Earlier, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai recommended stronger actions from US-based wireless operators to protect American phone users from scam or robotic calls.
T-Mobile said scam ID enables mobile phone customers to receive alerts automatically if they receive an incoming scam call. When customers enable Scam Block, T-Mobile will stop scam calls before they reach them.
The scam blocking features — powered by patent-pending T-Mobile technology and built into the network — will work on all phones.
“Every year, three out of four people in the US get at least one scam call—and fraudsters cheat consumers out of more than half a billion dollars per year! It’s insane – so we had to do something to protect our customers,” said Neville Ray, chief technology officer for T-Mobile.
T-Mobile network analyzes calls – in milliseconds – against a global database of tens of thousands of known scammer numbers. The T-Mobile network analyzes the up-to-date database in near real-time with behavioral heuristics and intelligent scam pattern detection.
When a match is found, the T-Mobile network tags the incoming call and warns the customer that it’s likely from a scammer. T-Mobile’s network is capable of analyzing every call to identify and block scammers.
If a customer prefers never to be bothered by scam calls, they can turn on Scam Block, and T-Mobile will terminate the call before it ever reaches the customer. The customer is in control and always has the power to decline or block scam calls.
T-Mobile is enabling Scam ID and Scam Block for T-Mobile ONE customers. New T-Mobile ONE customers will automatically get Scam ID beginning April 5. T-Mobile postpaid customers can also enable Scam ID for themselves beginning April 5 by dialing #ONI# (#664#) and pressing the call button in their phone’s dialer.
To turn on Scam Block, customers can dial #ONB# (#662#) or, to turn it off, dial #OFB# (#632#). To check whether Scam Block is on or off, customers can dial #STS# (#787#).
