T-Mobile Deploys Caller Verified To Crack Down On Scammers

T-Mobile is targeting scam calls with a new feature that verifies callers. The carrier's Caller Verified technology is being deployed to the Galaxy Note 9 first, activating when an incoming calls arrives. Though it's launching on Samsung's handset first, T-Mobile plans to make the Caller Verified feature available to all of its smartphone customers later in 2019.

According to T-Mobile, its new Caller Verified feature is its own implementation of the STIR and SHAKEN standards, which target caller ID spoofing that utilizes the recipient's own area code so they're more likely to answer.

T-Mobile said in November that it was ready for both of the standards, which have been recommended by the FCC. The Uncarrier is now the first carrier in the US to offer caller verification using the two standards. T-Mobile didn't say when non-Galaxy Note 9 smartphone users on its network can expect to see the new feature.

The new feature comes at a time when scam calls are on a massive rise. Many wireless customers across all carriers have complained about receiving multiple spoofed scam calls per day — these calls utilize a phone number with a local area code to make it appear the call may be coming from a local business or person.

This new verification follows the scam warning T-Mobile launched in 2017 — with it, mobile customers see an alert warning them that a call is a scammer, helping them avoid being a victim. As well, T-Mobile customers can choose to block all calls that have been identified by the carrier as suspected spam.