Truecaller Launches Scam Checker on Open Web as It Moves Beyond Caller ID
Truecaller launched Scam Checker, a free web and Android service that checks suspicious phone numbers, links and messages. It starts in India and is set to expand to Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, and Southeast Asia, TechCrunch reported.
Scam Checker surfaces related reports from Truecaller's community, ScamFeed. When a user submits a link, the service expands shortened URLs and follows redirects to the final destination, then checks them against Truecaller's proprietary risk database and other fraud signals. When a user pastes a suspicious message, the service can pick out a phone number or link and surface related community reports. Truecaller said it plans in the near future to broaden the types of scams Scam Checker can detect and add screenshot uploads for further analysis.
The launch responds to scam activity that has moved well beyond phone calls. In a 2025 GSMA survey of Indian adults, 46% of those who reported being scammed said they were approached through messaging apps, while 37% said the approach came via SMS and 32% through voice calls. Truecaller estimates that people make about 14 million web searches a month to check suspicious links and phone numbers, based on its analysis of search volumes and traffic to existing verification services. CEO Rishit Jhunjhunwala told TechCrunch that this behavior helped shape Scam Checker.
“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 has become a central part of the effort. The company told TechCrunch that about 20,000 scam reports are live on ScamFeed in India, with around 1,300 new reports added each week. Between Sept. 14 and 20, Truecaller said it evaluated 12.9 billion messages globally and flagged 20.3 million as fraudulent. Beyond generating leads for its app, the community reports can give Truecaller a better view of the scams circulating at a given time. That could also help its fraud and risk products sold to enterprises through Truecaller for Business, although Jhunjhunwala said Scam Checker itself is aimed at consumers.
The push beyond caller ID comes as Truecaller's core business faces new pressures in India, its largest market with more than 350 million users. Telecom operators are rolling out the federal government-backed Calling Name Presentation service, while Apple and Google have added their own caller identification and spam-protection features. Last week, India's telecom regulator ordered caller-ID apps to share user-submitted spam reports with telecom operators, a move Truecaller criticized as a “one-way exchange.”
Jhunjhunwala said Truecaller's focus is evolving. “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.”
Editor's Summary Truecaller has launched Scam Checker, a free web and Android tool that checks suspicious phone numbers, links and messages, starting in India and expanding to other regions. The move extends Truecaller beyond caller ID as it faces new competition and regulatory requirements in India, its largest market. The service draws on ScamFeed community reports and is also expected to support Truecaller's broader fraud and risk efforts.