Scammers have become a bit annoying lately.
More and more residents are receiving messages and calls from scammers on a daily basis.
Just today, I received a fake job advertisement for a writer who’s willing to work 23 hours a day in exchange for sugar-coated peanuts.
Boss: That wasn’t a scam, that was me informing you about your pay structure this month.
Oh.
In any case, there’s certainly been an increase in the number of calls and messages made by scammers in recent years.
If you’re constantly receiving these calls and messages and want it to stop, there might be an app out there that can do that.
Over 5,500 Phone Numbers Have Been Blocked by Govt App That Can Identify Scam or Loan Messages
Enter ScamShield, a phone app that blocks scam calls and messages.
Since its launch in November last year, the app has been downloaded by more than 119,000 users and has blocked over 5,500 phone numbers.
722,000 SMSes have also been reported.
The app is managed by the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
So, how does it work?
Two words: artificial intelligence (AI).
Reader: That’s two words.
Blocks Calls & Sends Scam Messages to Junk Folder
Developed by NCPC and Open Government Products, the app checks incoming SMS messages and calls against a list of known scam numbers and blocks them if there’s a match.
The app utilises artificial intelligence to identify scam SMS messages by picking out keywords commonly found in such messages.
These scam SMS messages are then sent to the phone’s junk folder. Scam calls are automatically blocked without notifying the user.
Worried about privacy? Well, only incoming messages from unknown contacts will go through ScamShield.
NCPC assured users that the app will not scan SMSes from known contacts.
ScamShield also does not have access to the user’s contact list, location, or other personal data, nor does it require users to register with their mobile numbers.
Users Must Remain Vigilant
Since overseas numbers can be disguised to look like local calling numbers, however, there may be some numbers from scammers which may not be filtered out by ScamShield.
“Users should remain vigilant and adopt scam prevention strategies to avoid falling prey to scammers,” NCPC said.
The app also allows users to report scam messages and calls, which will then be added to the database and shared with the police.
The only bad news is that it’s currently only available on iOS devices.
*Cries in Android*
A version for Android systems is being developed, however, so Android users—cry no longer!
Feature Image: Free_styler/ Shutterstock.com
