T-Mobile announces Scam Shield to protect customers against scam calls (Sprint users included)
After a few days of teasing a big announcement, T-Mobile today unveiled Scam Shield, a new feature aimed at drastically reducing the number of scam calls users are receiving.
This new feature will be available to all T-Mobile customers, including those using Metro and Sprint. Scam Shield is being offered for free.
According to T-Mobile, last year, about 58 billion scam and robocalls were made in the US. To make things worse, the current COVID-19 crisis is a "huge opportunity" for scammers, with over 1 million related scam calls being made daily in the US since the beginning of the pandemic.
T-Mobile says that Scam Shield protects you better than the anti-scam services of Verizon and AT&T (which are not free), thanks to the fact that the feature is built into the core of its network. The new protection system works regardless of the wireless technology used by scam callers - from 3G to 4G and 5G, and even Wi-Fi.
Scam Shield includes several sub-features:
- Scam ID and Scam Block - suspicious phone calls are immediately flagged and you can turn on Scam Block for any incoming call (you'll never get calls from that number again)
- Enhanced Caller ID - allowing you to quickly know who's calling
- T-Mobile PROXY - this is a second number that you can activate for free "to keep your personal number personal" (you need to be on a Magenta or Essentials plan to get this for free)
- Free number change
T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers will be able to download Scam Shield beginning July 24 via Apple App Store and Google Play. Meanwhile, you can turn on Scam Block starting today by dialing #662# from your T-Mobile or Metro phone.
Sprint users will also be protected by T-Mobile's improved anti-scam technology starting July 24. They'll need to download an upgraded - and free - Call Screener app via Apple App Store, or enable the pre-installed app on Android devices. The full benefits of Scam Shield (and the new app itself) will be available to Sprint customers at a later date.
You can find out more about Scam Shield here at T-Mobile. Additionally, you can watch a compressed version of T-Mobile's Scam Shield announcement below.
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