Telstra have announced they will be the introducing their new Suspicious Call Indicator (SCI), called Scam Protect and have indicated that it will progressively be implemented across their Network throughout the rest of this month, December 2024.
What is Scam Protect?
Scam Protect is Telstra’s Suspicious Call Indicator (SCI) initiative developed to assist the mitigation of SCAM and Fraud Calling. It uses a series of calling prompts to alert end users of the suspected nature of the call, which are displayed across a series of messages, if supported by the end user’s mobile device.
What are the messages and what do these warnings messages mean?
Three messages may be displayed as per below:
Warning: Potential Fraud
This warning message is displayed for suspicious high-risk calls or calls that have a higher risk of being a SCAM or Spam. It helps customer stay alert and cautious before answering the call.
Unverified: Overseas Call
This warning message indicates that the incoming call is originating from outside Australia. This warning is intended to alert customers to the potential risks associated with calls originating from outside Australia, for spam or fraudulent activity.
Warning: Suspicious Calling Pattern
The warning message appears when Telstra detects an unusual calling pattern that might indicate spam or fraud. This warning alerts you to be cautious before answering the call.
The below image demonstrate examples of how these warnings may appear on an end user’s handset. Please note that different devices may result in variation of appearance.
Will ALL calls display these warning messages?
Telstra have shared that only certain calls, identified by them as using spoofed numbers, or calls exhibiting suspicious patterns will trigger these warnings. Telstra have shared they cannot provide any assurance that the relevant call is definitely SCAM/spam or fraudulent, nor can Telstra guarantee that all SCAM/spam or fraudulent calls are indicated with the warning.
What does it mean for my numbers?
We’ve provided an FAQ below that addresses some of the questions we have put forward to Telstra and the answers we have received thus far.
FAQ
Who will see these warning messages?
Our understanding is that only end users using the Telstra Network (inclusive of your end users on the Telstra Network) will see these warnings, subject to their device’s capabilities.
Will these warning messages be displayed across Networks?
No, the new warning messages are limited to Telstra's Network.
Is Scam Protect specific to Symbio customers on the Telstra Network?
No, Telstra does not discriminate, Scam Protect will be applied to ALL carriers on the Telstra Network.
Are these warning messages in place for a temporary period, if so, how long?
No, our understanding is that these are not temporarily applied. If the warning is incorrectly applied, then a process will need to be followed to ensure this is removed.
Will roaming customers be presented with these warning messages?
The new warning messages may be visible in some roaming locations where VoLTE technology is supported by the roaming partner network, subject to any limitations that may exist in those networks.
Can an end user opt out of Scam Protect?
At this time there is no option for individual end users to opt out of receiving the warnings, as these are part of the overall security and identification enhancements deployed by Telstra.
Will these warning messages be displayed on all handsets?
Warning messages will display on most modern mobile phones. Devices which have limitations (e.g. those with small screens) may result in the warning message not presenting fully, or truncated.
Will these warning messages prevent end users from receiving SCAM Calls?
No, Scam Protect has been designed to alert the end user to potential SCAM/spam or fraudulent calls, but it may not completely prevent such calls from coming through.
It acts as a warning to let the end user know about possible SCAM/spam or fraud. This helps the end user recognise suspicious calls and reminds them to be careful before answering.
While it improves the end user’s awareness, it's still important for end users to stay alert and take extra precautions. Telstra cannot guarantee that all SCAM/spam or fraudulent calls are indicated with the warning message.
How will Scam Protect determine if a call is SCAM or not?
Scam Protects’ warning messages are designed to alert recipients to calls that may have spoofed numbers or exhibit unusual calling patterns, but some SCAM/spam or fraudulent calls may not trigger these warnings. Telstra cannot guarantee that all SCAM/spam or fraudulent calls will be captured using this feature.
As such, recipient end users should remain vigilant and exercise caution when receiving calls from unknown numbers. A combination of our services and user awareness is the best approach to minimising the risk.
What if a call is identifies as SCAM, but it’s not and the number is known to the end user?
If a caller’s contact information is saved on the handset, it will override these warning messages.
What if my number(s) have been incorrected tagged as SCAM?
Telstra have indicated that they will act, should they receive information sharing that the tagging report is incorrect, but its removal is still subject to their discretion, and they may request additional information to support the investigation of an incorrect tagging report.
How do I file an incorrect tagging report?
Please let us know if you have traffic that you feel has been incorrectly labelled. Telstra will require details of the originating and receiving number, the message displayed, date and time of warning as part of the process to ensure the indicator is removed.
