THEThe phone rings, an unknown prefix appears on the screen but it seems reliable, you decide to answer. A normal gesture which, in a few seconds, can lead you to find yourself entangled in a conversation that will only lead to trouble. Telephone scams have become a real social plaguecapable of attacking anyone, but with particular ferocity towards the elderly or those less familiar with the traps of the web and telephony. In this scenario, to defend yourself you can activate the new Truecaller functionthe leading application in blocking unwanted numbers, “family protection”.
Truecaller: a remote intervention against deception
The real innovation introduced by this update is the possibility of acting in real time on suspicious phone calls received from family members. It’s no longer just about knowing who’s calling, but to be able to physically intervene to interrupt the danger. In fact, through a system of linked accounts, a user can monitor the call status of their loved ones.
How it works
If the system detects that a family member is talking to a number reported as “scam”, an English term that defines an attempted scam or fraud, the group administrator receives an immediate alert. At that point, with a simple touch on your screen, you can end the other user’s call, preventing the victim from falling into the trapprovide bank details or accept phantom contracts. At present, this remote lock function it is exclusive to those who use the Android operating systemwhile monitoring and notification functions are available for iPhone users.
A new function of the Truecaller app, acts as a digital shield to protect loved ones from scams. (Getty Images)
A shared safety net
The operation is based on the creation of a real restricted community. Once the connection between the devices has been authorized, family members share a common blacklista “black list” of blocked numbers. If a parent receives a harassing call, it is automatically reported to the entire family network, making that number harmless to all other members of the group.
Truecaller, not just against scams
Truecaller, however, is not limited to protecting against scams, the application allows you to view useful information in emergency contexts, like the battery level of a family member’s phone or if the device is set to silent mode. These functions, initially tested only in some markets, they are now available globally, including Italytransforming the app into a real control center for home security.
Costs and levels of protection
Although the basic functions for identifying unknown numbers remain accessible to everyone for free, the most advanced family protection is part of a subscription strategy. There are different plans, from one that can cover up to five people, introducing the automatic rejection of numbers at risk; to those who offer smart filters which are constantly updated based on reports from the global community, which today has over 450 million users.
Privacy and digital awareness
A fundamental aspect of this evolution concerns privacy, obviously. The developers have clarified that the system does not allow you to listen to conversationsbut only to view the status of the call, whether it is in progress or whether it comes from a dangerous number. Each user, of course, must explicitly give their consent to be “protected”thus ensuring that the tool remains a mutual aid and not an invasive means of control. It remains that, in an age where scammers use artificial intelligence to simulate familiar voices or create situations of fake dangerthe most effective response is solidarity between people, supported by technology that allows you to be there even when you are far away.