Truecaller now lets users protect households from scam calls

Summary

Truecaller has launched a household-level scam-protection feature as the Swedish company broadens its role beyond caller ID in response to the rising number of fraud attempts that target multiple members of a home. The new feature, called Family Protection, lets up to five people join a family group overseen by one member who acts as the administrator and manages scam-blocking settings for the others. Family Protection is initially rolling out as a pilot for Android and iOS users in Sweden, Chile, Malaysia, and Kenya. Truecaller said the feature is designed so that the more digitally confident person in a household can handle scam controls on behalf of less tech-savvy family members. On Android, the family administrator can receive alerts during suspected scam calls; view basic device status, including battery level; and remotely end calls flagged as fraudulent, the company said. Scam activity has been rising worldwide as more people come online. That activity has exploded in markets where first-time smartphone users and older adults are more exposed to fraud. Countries, including India, have reported sharp increases in impersonation attempts and multi-step schemes that exploit gaps in digital familiarity. Truecaller plans to address this with its new feature, which will expand into additional key regions, including India, in the first quarter of 2026. Image Credits:Truecaller Truecaller CEO Rishit Jhunjhunwala told TechCrunch the company has seen scammers shift from targeting individuals to entire households, with schemes unfolding through a sequence of calls, messages, missed-call triggers, and impersonation attempts directed at multiple family members to find a vulnerable entry point. The trend prompted the launch of the multi-user protection system, he said. Family Protection is available as a free feature to users. However, if the family administrator upgrades to a Premium Family plan, all members get an ad-free experience along with stronger spam defense and a...