T-Mobile Rolls Out Tools to Help Customers Avoid Scam Phone Calls

T-Mobile today announced the launch of two new anti-scam features designed to cut down on scam phone calls, Scam ID and Scam Block.

Scam ID, as the name suggests, alerts customers when an incoming call is coming from a phone number known to be associated with a scam. Scam Block goes one step further, automatically blocking any calls identified as scams by Scam ID.

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"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. "So the T-Mobile team designed a brilliant set of patent-pending technologies -- then built them directly into our network, so there's nothing customers have to do. No hoops to jump through, no app to download. Like most T-Mobile technologies, it just works."

Scam ID is powered by a global database that contains "tens of thousands" of known scammer numbers. T-Mobile updates the database in near real-time by analyzing every call that comes into its network with "behavioral heuristics" and "intelligent scam pattern detection." Every call is analyzed to identify and block scammers.

Both Scam ID and Scam Block are available on all devices on T-Mobile's network and will be included at no cost. The features are rolling out to customers starting today, and will be available to T-Mobile ONE customers first.

New T-Mobile ONE customers will automatically get Scam ID beginning on April 5, while other T-Mobile postpaid customers can enable the feature on that date by dialing #ONI# (#664#). To turn on Scam Block, customers can dial dial #ONB# (#662#).

T-Mobile warns that enabling Scam Block could potentially cause customers not to receive legitimate calls, so caution should be used before turning it on. Once enabled, it can be turned off by dialing #OFB# (#632#).

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Top Rated Comments

nutmac Avatar
106 months ago
This implementation is blocking just "scam" calls from the list of their scam call database (puny "tens of thousands"). I applaud them for efforts, but what I really want is an option to block (1) "Do Not Originate" (spoofed numbers) and (2) no caller ID.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
konqerror Avatar
106 months ago

Anyhow, this again just shows how T-Mo is kicking everyones ass, as usual.
How so? AT&T got a similar service 3 months ago.

In fact, this service has a flaw. AT&T's version lets you see the blocked calls in an app, with optional notifications, so you can unblock false positives. Is there something similar here?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Deeznuts. Avatar
106 months ago
Will it block my wife's number? She's always trying to scam me out of money.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tigres Avatar
106 months ago
So I sign up online for some Auto Warranty quotes. My phone number is very old, thus having an area code in another state. I get calls daily now, from my area code from these warranty companies- nice trick they have in their bags.

Anyhow, this again just shows how T-Mo is kicking everyones ass, as usual.
If they had the 700 spectrum where I live- I would be so onboard with them, like yesterday....
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
peterh988 Avatar
106 months ago
Wish Apple would introduce a system to deal with No Caller ID. Perhaps a way to block it, or have it send out a "This user does not accept unidentified calls" or something similar.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cerote Avatar
106 months ago
Would be nice. But most tend to block some actual places people use.

Nowadays the scams just use fake numbers. I don't ever answer a number with same area code and first 3 digits of my number. (I guess only really applies to people in larger cities).
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)