T-Mobile is going after annoying scam calls. The carrier announced it’s launching Caller Verified technology that will alert its customers when a call is coming from a verified caller.
The update is rolling out for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, which will be the first smartphone to support the feature. When a call comes in that isn’t a spam call, users will be greeted with a “Caller Verified” text confirming the validity of the caller.
Basically, the feature alerts users when a call is coming from a real person. It doesn’t actually tell you if it is not a real person though. If you don’t see the “Caller Verified” tag then you can assume it’s spam caller.
T-Mobile says it is using STIR and SHAKEN standards to make the tech work. The standards combat illegal caller ID spoofing in which they temporarily hijack a phone number with the matching 3-digit area code for the person they are calling to fool them into answering the call. It is a sophisticated way spam calls have adapted in the past few years, making it seem as though the caller may be somebody you know.
The feature is limited from the onset by only being available with the Galaxy Note 9. But eventually it will reach more devices and possibly even more carriers as the battle against spam calls intensifies. Verizon plans on using the tech later this year while Sprint also has plans to start testing the tech this year.
