Apps to help you avoid scam, telemarketing calls
KUALA LUMPUR: Anyone worried about falling victim to scammers calling their mobile phones can download a number of applications which could lower the chances of it happening.
A check by the New Straits Times on mobile app stores showed that there were more than 20 apps that could help users identify calls coming from scam syndicates or telemarketers.
One example is Truecaller, which claims to have helped Malaysians identify more than 4.3 million spam calls this year.
Nurul Ain Abdul Razak, 26, who has been using the app for over a year, said Truecaller had allowed her to unmask the identity of unknown or confidential numbers.
“As an entrepreneur, I put my mobile phone number up on my Instagram and Facebook page to let my customers reach out to me easily. However, putting my phone numbers on the Internet has had harmful effects as I was receiving a number of calls from unknown numbers.
“I was once harassed by a stranger over the phone and that person constantly bugged me for my personal details.”
Nurul Ain said the app had allowed her to easily differentiate whether the caller was a potential customer or a scammer.
“The beauty of the app is that if the number is registered to a company, it will tell you the name of the company and its location as well. If I think the number is dodgy, I can always ignore the call and look for more information in the database, which is also a feature in the app.
“The app also warns you about the number of people who have been flagged as ‘spam’ callers and you can then proceed to block the number immediately,” she said.
Besides Truecaller, phone users can also install WhoscallCaller ID & Block, which not only helps to identify incoming calls, but also blocks unwanted numbers and spam messages.
Other apps available include Trapcall, Showcaller, Whowho, Extreme call blocker, Call blacklist pro, Call bliss, Whitepages caller id, Number guru and Real Caller.