What Is “Scam Likely”?

“Scam likely” is a tag that appears for customers of T-Mobile, Metro (formerly MetroPCS), and Sprint (after the merger with T-Mobile) that tags potentially unwanted callers on incoming calls. It’s part of T-Mobile’s “Scam Shield” feature, which aims to prevent fraudulent calls over the network. The company turned on this feature for all subscribers at the time by default so that you won’t see its settings anywhere.

For this purpose, carriers created a unique database of known fraudulent numbers. In addition, T-Mobile Network automatically checks all incoming calls to its customers’ phones. Therefore, these can be the usual signs of fraudulent calls, such as:

• Impersonating a government agency
• Demanding to pay for something with gift cards
• Classic technical support schemes
• Annoying robocalls

Because the fraud ID applies at the network level, you’ll see a “Scam likely” message no matter your device. This works on an iPhone, Android, or even button phone. You don’t need to install any unique apps by default, though you can install the free T-Mobile Scam Shield app for Android or iPhone for more control.

Can I Trust “Scam Likely” Calls?

Unfortunately, any system is imperfect and can fail, so chances are you will see a “Scam likely” message for a legitimate call. However, it is recommended that you exercise extreme caution if you do decide to answer a call with this marking. Nevertheless, almost all calls with this marking are likely to try to scam you. In any case, if you pick up the phone, never give any personal information. If in doubt, you can ignore a call from an unknown number. Usually, the person who needs something will leave a message. Since scammers often use social engineering, you can hang up if the conversation makes you uncomfortable.

How to Block Scam Likely Calls

Although the system warns you that the call is “Scam Likely,” it does not block them by default. If you get too many of these calls and want to block them, T-Mobile also offers a free Scam Blocker feature. The system will automatically block all calls marked “Scam Likely”. To turn on the blocking, follow these steps:

• Open the dialer app on your phone.
• Dial the combination #662# and press call.
• To ensure the lock is activated, dial #787# and press the call.

You can disable “Scam Likely” call blocking anytime by dialing #632# and pressing call.

How to Spot Scam Calls on Other Carriers

Most operators have similar services to combat fraudulent calls. This is due to the STIR/SHAKEN, a set of protocols that allows carriers to fight caller ID spoofing. Thanks to these standards, the operator can display a “Call Verified” message on your phone. This way, he confirms that it has not been spoofed. This feature is now becoming available on more and more devices and carriers as they all work to reduce spam calls.

So, if you’re an AT&T customer, you can download their official software. It’s available for iPhone or Android and contains free spam and fraud blocking features as well as advanced protection that’s available by subscription. And if you use Verizon, a free call filtering service is available as well. To manage this feature, you can also install the Verizon Call Filter app, available for iPhone or Android. Like AT&T, Verizon also offers a paid subscription to improve this. Other carriers likely provide similar services as well. For more information, visit the store, log in to your account management page, or contact your carrier’s customer service number.

How to Block Scam Likely Calls using Android and iPhone

Suppose you are annoyed by a spammer, and your operator does not provide such a service. In this case, you can block the annoying number using the standard tools of the operating system of your device. In addition, there are third-party applications available in the app store that can handle this task. These applications usually have a database of fraudulent numbers and will alert you if an incoming call is potentially unsafe. In addition, these apps allow you to detect and block fraudulent calls, regardless of which carrier you have. The disadvantage of such applications is that they are often paid and require a subscription.

How to Stop Scam Likely Calls on Android

If your phone has the default dialler app from Google, it will alert you to potential spammers by default. If your Android device uses a different dialer app, do the following:

1. Open the dial app and tap the number you want to block.

2. Click on Details, then select Block number.

In addition, you can use a third-party app to filter out spam.

How to Block Scam Calls on iPhone

You can block any number on your iPhone using the built-in blocklist feature. To do this, do the following:

1. Open the Phone app and tap Recent and press the "i" icon next to the number you need to block.

2. Scroll down and tap Block this caller.

There is a more radical method that will solve the problem of unwanted calls. Your iPhone has a feature that allows you to silence all calls from unknown numbers. To do this:

1. Open Settings and scroll down to Phone.

2. Tap Silence Unknown Callers.

3. Toggle it to on

It’s important to understand that if you turn this on, all calls from numbers that aren’t in your contacts will be rejected automatically. Most people receive legitimate calls from unknown numbers from time to time, such as a meeting reminder or an important call from someone using a friend’s phone. We recommend using this method only in extreme cases, such as if you receive much spam. Otherwise, you might miss important calls.

How to Stop “Scam Likely” Calls

Protecting your cell phone number is the best way to prevent Scam Likely calls. You need to add your number to the National Call Barring Registry to do this. Unfortunately, this does not stop all calls, but it will filter out annoying telemarketing and other such garbage. You also have to be careful when you’re sharing your number. Nowadays, almost every online ad, account, and other services will ask for your phone number. Plus, in some cases, companies can share your number with affiliates for marketing purposes. So think carefully before sharing your number with anyone online. Instead, you can sign up for a free Google Voice number and use it as an additional method of communication. The plus side of this method is that if you provide this number for all secondary services, you can always disconnect the number and not worry about incoming calls, even if they are spam.

The post How to Block Scam Likely Calls on iPhone and Android appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

Are phone viruses real?

Well yes and no at the same time. To begin with, it is worth clarifying that, unlike its original meaning, the term “virus” today is abstract and implies any malware. Due to the peculiarities of mobile operating systems, classic viruses cannot fully function on them. On the other hand, there are plenty of other malicious stuff that will happily run on the smartphone. Most commonly, phone viruses are represented with stealers, spyware and adware of different kinds.

Two mobile operating systems, Android and iOS, differ hard enough to demand a completely different approach for the attacker. This creates a strong borderline between any talks about malware. And yes, when people talk about phone viruses and trying to search for signs your phone has a virus, they mostly talk about Android. By the way, what are these signs?

Signs your phone has a virus

Here are a few clues that a virus has infected your phone:

• New suspicious apps. You may have apps on your phone that you didn’t download. Check your app list for any unrecognized ones.
• System instability. Your phone crashing regularly may not be due to a virus if it happens once with no other symptoms, but if it becomes frequent, it’s likely a virus.
• Abnormal battery discharge. Your phone’s battery drains faster than typically when you use it.
• Pop-up ads. You are receiving unusually high pop-up ads, which a virus may cause.
• Increased mobile data usage. Data usage spikes without explanation. If your phone bill shows increased data usage, a virus may be the cause.
• Outgoing sms you didn’t send. You may see additional charges on your bill due to malware sending texts to premium numbers.

Hint: Sometimes, some of the above symptoms may indicate that your phone is out of date. In this case, the attackers have nothing to do with it; you just need to update your phone.

Common types of phone malware and viruses

As I said, phone viruses are generally represented with adware, spyware and stealers. However, the specificity of mobile platforms allowed for the emergence of unique types, such as chargeware. Let’s review them all.

Chargeware

Chargeware is malware that can charge you money without your explicit consent or clear notification beforehand. This can be a serious problem because you may not know you are being charged until you see your bill.

Spyware

Spyware is designed to track, collect, or use your private data without your permission. This can include phone call history, browser history, text messages, user location, contact list, email, and personal photos. The stolen information could be used for identity theft or financial fraud, so it’s essential to protect your data.

Stealers

Stealers are another kind of malware designed to steal sensitive information from a victim’s device. They can steal passwords, credit card numbers, photos, videos, and other sensitive data. Unlike spyware, the purpose of a stealer is to steal data, not to observe the victim.

Adware

Adware is malware that often appears as unwanted advertisements on your device. While encountering pop-up ads online is common, adware can display unwanted ads even on trusted websites or apps where they don’t usually appear. Aggressive adware may show ads on your lock screen and trigger video and audio advertisements. At the same time, the phone is asleep and displays out-of-app ads that interfere with other applications. Adware may also collect information about you and target you with ads based on this information.

What should you do if you have a virus?

Delete suspicious apps in safe mode

If you suspect malware on your phone and can’t delete the apps, restart it in safe mode to remove malicious apps before they start. Search online for your phone’s exact procedure, but for many models, press and hold the Power button from the lock screen until you see the shutdown screen, then tap and hold the Power Off button to restart in safe mode. When the phone reboots in Safe Mode, third-party applications (including most malware) are disabled. This allows you to find all potentially unwanted applications and uninstall them.

Turn on Google Play Protect

Google’s Play Protect is a free anti-malware app that scans your phone for malicious apps and behavior. It checks third-party apps for malware-like behavior and prevents them from harming your device. If you haven’t enabled Play Protect, we recommend doing so immediately from the Google Play store.

Scan your phone with an anti-malware solution

You can use our mobile scanner to ensure your Android device is immaculate. In case there is still an infection, Trojan Scanner will remove it. You can download Trojan Scanner from Google Play or directly from our website.

Phone Viruses on iOS – Do They Exist?

It’s very unlikely for iPhones to get a virus. Although technically possible, only a few iPhone viruses have been developed, primarily for academic and research purposes. Apple designed iOS to restrict apps from communicating with each other and the operating system, which reduces the risk of viruses on iPhones. Although there are exceptions. Additionally, users can only install approved apps from the App Store, which Apple evaluates for viruses and other issues before making them available. In addition, there are no antivirus programs available in the App Store. However, security apps from major antivirus companies focus on securing your browsing, privacy, and data backup.

If you notice any unusual behavior, it may be due to a buggy app that needs to be updated or removed. However, if your iPhone has been jailbroken, it may have been infected with a virus. The risk of jailbroken iPhone infection increases significantly, the same as if an Android device were rooted. In such cases, getting rid of the virus can be difficult, but you can try the following steps:

• Delete any apps that you suspect may have carried the virus.
• Restore your iPhone from an uninfected backup.
• Restore your phone to its factory settings, but back up your data before doing so. Do not create a restore point – it will have the infection inside, so all the manipulations will not make any sense.

The post Does My Phone Have a Virus? Phone Viruses Explained appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.