NordVPN’s new HangUp app scans calls and text messages for scams

The phone rings. There is a feeling of dread. Friend or foe? Scam or not? NordVPN — better known for encrypting internet traffic and hiding IP addresses — has launched a service Android app called HangUp Screens incoming calls for scammers and potential telemarketers. The application is free for everyone. You don’t need a paid NordVPN account.

HangUp uses call protection technology from Hiya, which has its own mobile app to block and detect unwanted and fraudulent calls Artificial intelligence deepfakes. HangUp can also scan incoming text messages through NordVPN integration Protect the messageWhich the company launched in June. HangUp customers can choose to use call screening only if they wish.

Call flagging may be a new feature for VPN that CNET considers to be the fastestbut fraud checking is already available Via many mobile phone providers As well as the devices themselves. AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, iPhone, Google Pixel, and Samsung phones can identify and block unwanted calls, as can the major landline services.

HangUp is currently only available for Android and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. After downloading the app, you’ll need to sign in with your NordVPN account or create a free account On its website. Finally, you’ll need to give the app permission to identify caller ID and spam.

NordVPN already has premium clients Protect calls and messages Built into the app.

A global problem

Fraudulent calls are not only annoying, they scam people Billions of dollars annually. It’s far from A strange start to telemarketing In 1957.

Nearly 80% of Americans have received at least one scam call in the past year, and 40% reported feeling unsafe due to scam calls, according to a survey by NordVPN. Search come on It found that Americans receive an average of 10 spam calls per week, and that 30 million people lost money — an average of $682 each — to a phone scam last year.

See also: Fraud calls have gotten out of control. This one strategy really helps

The NordVPN survey stated that the most common scams in the US are fake telemarketers or sales agents (43%), followed by fake healthcare providers (20%) and fake government or tax officials (18%).

“What these numbers reflect is a deeper concern about not being able to trust the call,” said a NordVPN product manager Dominikas Verbikas said In a statement.

How HangUp works

When a call comes in, HangUp verifies the number and warns you if it’s a scam, spam, or a telemarketing attempt before you answer the call. The app is able to do this by using caller reputation data that Hiya uses for its own service.

You can’t block individual phone numbers with the app, but instead, you can block categories — for example, if you want to stop all calls labeled as telemarketers.

You can also use HangUp to Delete incoming text messages. The app says it can detect scams, scams, malicious messages, and deceptive content. The app says it “may analyze message content, including links, sender information and other relevant signals, to assess potential risks.”

If you’re worried this is another way to get your data, NordVPN says it won’t record or listen in on calls, nor will it store any text message content.

NordVPN has another disclaimer about HangUp. It says the app is only an “informational utility” and cannot guarantee its ability to identify and block all unwanted calls. HangUp users cannot “rely exclusively” on the app and are “solely responsible” for the calls and texts they receive.

So make sure you know Warning signs of fraudulent calls And the steps you can take. The Federal Communications Commission has listed them, including not answering calls from numbers you don’t know and immediately hanging up if someone asks for money or personal information.