Truecaller has introduced a new web and Android service called Scam Checker, allowing users to verify suspicious phone numbers, links, or messages for fraud without requiring an app download or sign-in. The Swedish company launched the service on Sunday, according to TechCrunch.
The launch marks Truecaller's move to extend its scam intelligence beyond its traditional caller ID services, which serve over 500 million users globally. Scam Checker initially rolled out in India and is slated for expansion into Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, and Southeast Asia.
The free-to-access tool operates by surfacing related reports from Truecaller's community, known as ScamFeed. When a user submits a suspicious link, Scam Checker expands shortened URLs and follows redirects before checking against Truecaller's proprietary risk database and other fraud signals. For suspicious messages, the service identifies phone numbers or links within the text and provides relevant community reports. However, more detailed information, such as the name associated with a phone number, remains available only through Truecaller's existing app, which requires a sign-in, TechCrunch reported.
Rishit Jhunjhunwala, CEO of Truecaller, told TechCrunch that Scam Checker is aimed at consumers. He noted that people often encounter suspicious content in various contexts, such as messages on WhatsApp or forwarded screenshots, leading them to search for verification.
The introduction of Scam Checker comes as the landscape of scams has evolved significantly, moving beyond traditional phone calls to encompass text messages, messaging applications, and web links. A 2025 GSMA survey of Indian adults indicated that among those who reported being scammed, 46% were approached through messaging apps, 37% via SMS, and 32% through voice calls, according to TechCrunch.
Truecaller estimates that approximately 14 million web searches are conducted each month by individuals seeking to verify suspicious links and phone numbers. This user behavior helped inform the development of Scam Checker, Jhunjhunwala told TechCrunch.
"When you need it, you’re usually somewhere else. The link shows up on WhatsApp. Your mum gets a message about a traffic fine. A friend forwards you a screenshot and asks, ‘Is this real?’" Jhunjhunwala said. "What people do in that moment is search."
Truecaller's community intelligence plays a significant role in its scam detection efforts. Its crowdsourced ScamFeed platform, where users can post and discuss scams, currently hosts about 20,000 live scam reports in India, with approximately 1,300 new reports added weekly. Globally, the company evaluated 12.9 billion messages between September 14 and 20, flagging 20.3 million as fraudulent, TechCrunch reported.
The company's expansion beyond its core caller ID business occurs amid increasing pressure in India, its largest market with over 350 million users. Telecom operators in India are in the process of rolling out the federal government-backed Calling Name Presentation service. Additionally, technology giants Apple and Google have integrated their own caller identification and spam-protection features into their platforms. Last week, India’s telecom regulator also directed caller-ID applications to share user-submitted spam reports with telecom operators, a move Truecaller criticized as a "one-way exchange," according to TechCrunch.
Jhunjhunwala acknowledged the company's origins while emphasizing the need to adapt to evolving scam tactics.
"Caller ID was the first problem we solved, and it’s still how most people find us," he said. "But scams moved to a more multi-channel approach with links and messages, and increasingly to voice and video. Our protection has to follow the scammer."
Beyond assisting consumers, the community reports gathered through services like Scam Checker could provide Truecaller with a more comprehensive understanding of current scam trends. This insight could potentially benefit the company's fraud and risk products sold to enterprises through Truecaller for Business, TechCrunch reported.
Looking ahead, Truecaller plans to enhance Scam Checker by broadening the types of scams it can detect and by adding the capability for users to upload screenshots for further analysis.
