T-Mobile Launches 'Caller Verified' Tool to Protect Subscribers From Scammers

T-Mobile today launched a new "Caller Verified" feature that's designed to offer its customers more protection from scammers and spammers who spoof legitimate phone calls to attempt to fool smartphone owners.

Caller Verified uses the STIR and SHAKEN standards that are in place to combat illegal caller ID spoofing.

Right now, T-Mobile's implementation of Caller Verified is limited. It's only available on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and it is limited to the T-Mobile network.

On the Note 9, calls on the T-Mobile network will be "Caller Verified," with customers able to see that labeling to be sure that calls are authentic and are not coming from a scammer or spammer.

T-Mobile says that it plans to make the Caller Verified feature available on more smartphones later in the year, but it is not clear if that includes Apple's devices.

The feature will also work with calls coming from other carriers once other wireless providers implement STIR/SHAKEN standards.

T-Mobile has other spam fighting tools including Scam ID, Scam Block, and a premium Name ID app.

Tag: T-Mobile

Top Rated Comments

(View all)

centauratlas

27 weeks ago

Good for T-Mobile. Hopefully it appears in iOS devices ASAP and spurs AT&T and VZW to add similar features.

Spam/scam calls are out of control.

Rating: 10 Votes

dguisinger

27 weeks ago

I'm not sure why people get so upset about scam calls. I have a contact list. When a phone call comes in, I look at the name. If it comes through as a number I don't recognize, I immediately kick it over to voice mail. If it's important, the person will leave a message and I'll get back to them. If not, I don't worry about it.

Because you shouldn't ***** have to? Seriously, they are calling to sell you on a scam, its illegal. Why should I have to deal with it or filter my calls? Wouldn't it be nice to assume I should be able to answer a call from someone not on my contact list..... or like the newer spoofing scams, answer a call from someone that shows up as Apple support, and know its actually from Apple?

Rating: 9 Votes

nutmac

27 weeks ago

I really hope Apple does not wait until iOS 13 for STIR/SHAKEN.

Rating: 6 Votes

JRobinsonJr

27 weeks ago

Great approach for personal calls, but many of us use our phones for work... and I get many calls a day from colleagues and customers that are not (or not yet) in my contacts. I can't just push customers to voicemail.

Rating: 5 Votes

Jimmy James

27 weeks ago

Meanwhile, it looks like they’re selling your location data and it’s ending up where it shouldn’t.

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/nepxbz/i-gave-a-bounty-hunter-300-dollars-located-phone-microbilt-zumigo-tmobile

Rating: 3 Votes

jayducharme

27 weeks ago

Oh lord please. I get 2-6 calls a day for insurance scams.

Rating: 3 Votes

BigMcGuire

27 weeks ago

I have received more spam calls in the last 4 months than I have in the last 3-4 years. And no, I didn't do anything that I know of to cause it.

Edit: Thanks for the info --- clicking power button twice declines the call in this case (below). Thank you!
I have my phone on silent 24/7 but my Apple Watch buzzes (which I like) when I get a call. Annoys the **** out of me that the iPhone will not give me an option to decline the call if screen is locked. At least my Apple Watch lets me decline it instantly.

Recently, I've been getting blasted with the - "Your social security checks are at risk if you don't call us right away!" As a 33 year old, this is definitely a huge concern of mine (/sarcasm).

I have DND on 7pm-6am and only people on my contacts can call me. Considering turning it on full time - too bad I can't just do it for calls.

I pay Verizon enough $.... I really expect/hope they do something about this soon. And no, I'm not going to pay $9.99/mo for a service.

Rating: 3 Votes

EdT

27 weeks ago

I don't even answer my desktop phone at work unless I know who it is. I use voicemail to screen all my unknown calls. It's a choice, and you choose not to make it.

Where I work people can and do get fired if a customer or vendor complains about not being able to reach someone in a timely manner. I am more in the technical support side but it’s not unusual for people that I have never spoken to before call me for help. I imagine a lot of sales and support people in a lot of businesses are in the same predicament.

Rating: 2 Votes

Relentless Power

27 weeks ago

I have received more spam calls in the last 4 months than I have in the last 3-4 years. And no, I didn't do anything that I know of to cause it.

I have my phone on silent 24/7 but my Apple Watch buzzes (which I like) when I get a call. Annoys the **** out of me that the iPhone will not give me an option to decline the call if screen is locked. At least my Apple Watch lets me decline it instantly.

Recently, I've been getting blasted with the - "Your social security checks are at risk if you don't call us right away!" As a 33 year old male, this is definitely a huge concern of mine (/sarcasm).

I have DND on 7pm-6am and only people on my contacts can call me. Considering turning it on full time - too bad I can't just do it for calls.

I pay Verizon enough $.... I really expect/hope they do something about this soon. And no, I'm not going to pay $9.99/mo for a service.

I share your experiences, I have received so many scam calls in the last year or so, and I don’t even release my phone number or subscribe to anyone that would be able to achieve it.

I really would like to see carriers and Apple collaborate together to combat this type of issue, and I don’t have a specific implementation how, but scam calls are so rampant and diverse today, they will do anything and use any method to obtain your information, rather it be a credit card, Social Security, even your mailing address.

I don’t want to see carriers turn this into a situation where they see profit, I want them to see this as a potential problem that has been growing as a trend, and what can they do to at least slow down these types of issues, even though they fully can never be stopped.

Rating: 2 Votes