
Truecaller has launched a new household-focused scam protection feature that allows one person to manage call safety for multiple family members, as the company responds to an increase in fraud schemes that target entire households rather than just individuals.
How the Family Protection Feature Works
The new feature, called Family Protection, allows up to five people to join a family group managed by one designated administrator. The administrator controls scam-blocking settings for all members of the group, with the aim of allowing more digitally confident users to protect less tech-savvy relatives.
The feature is initially being rolled out as a pilot for Android and iOS users in Sweden, Chile, Malaysia, and Kenya.
On Android devices, the family administrator can receive alerts when a suspected scam call is detected, view basic device information such as battery level, and remotely end calls that are flagged as fraudulent.
Rising Scam Activity and Market Focus
Truecaller said scam activity has been rising globally as smartphone adoption expands, particularly in markets where first-time users and older adults are more vulnerable to fraud. Countries including India have reported sharp increases in impersonation scams and multi-step fraud schemes that exploit gaps in digital awareness.
Truecaller plans to expand Family Protection to additional regions, including India, in the first quarter of 2026.
Chief executive Rishit Jhunjhunwala told TechCrunch that the company has observed scammers shifting from targeting single victims to targeting entire households. He said recent schemes often involve a sequence of calls, messages, missed-call triggers, and impersonation attempts directed at different family members to identify an entry point.
Free Access and Premium Tier Options
Family Protection is available as a free feature for users. If the family administrator subscribes to a Premium Family plan, all family members receive an ad-free experience, enhanced spam filtering, and automatic rejection of high-risk calls.
“With Family Protection, one person’s vigilance now strengthens safety for up to five family members,” Jhunjhunwala said.
User Base, Data Scale, and Competitive Pressure
Truecaller has more than 450 million users worldwide and says it detects about 63 million scam attempts every day. The company’s community also reports around 166 million spam calls daily, providing Truecaller with one of the largest real-time datasets on phone-based fraud globally.
The company faces growing competition in India, its largest market, as the government begins trials of a Caller Name Presentation system that will display caller names registered with telecom providers on incoming calls. Truecaller has been expanding beyond traditional caller ID features as it adapts to regulatory and competitive changes.
Featured image credits: Mojo Dialer
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