Latest news with #scamPrevention
Finextra
02-07-2025
- Business
- Finextra
Australian banks launch nationwide Confirmation of Payee scheme
Australia's banks have begun the roll-out of a nationwide Confirmation of Payee programme to help protect customers from being tricked into sending money to criminals. 0 Banks have invested $100 million in the name-matching technology, which helps reduce scams and mistaken payments by checking whether the name, BSB and account number entered by a customer match the account details held by the receiving bank and showing the match result before payment is made. Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh says that while Australia was one of the only countries in the world where scam losses were reducing, investing further in the latest scam fighting technology is crucial to driving losses down even further. 'This is critical new technology that will help protect a customer from transferring money straight into the hands of a scammer.' Already widely available in the UK, Confirmation of Payee is also being rolled out across Europe under an October 2025 deadline set by the EU Instant Payments Regulation. Belgian banks have been the first to go live with the new technology, providing an extended version of the standard name-matching service to provide clearer notifications to payers, more data for banks to detect fraud early, and support for country-specific needs such as multilingualism and special characters.
The Sun
19-06-2025
- The Sun
The secret settings to ‘scam-proof' your phone, stop crooks stealing your private photos & £1000s from your bank account
THOUSANDS of pounds gone in seconds, your private pics in the hands of strangers, and your loved ones ripped off too – these are just a few of the nightmare consequences of a smartphone scam. I've spent years writing about how to dodge increasingly convincing online cons that cost Brits millions a year - and it only takes a few seconds to avoid disaster by changing settings on your iPhone or Android. Online scams are big business and a recent Ofcom report warned that almost half of Brits have been drawn in by clever scammers. A quarter of those had lost money, with a fifth losing at least £1,000. They can come over the phone, text, or email, or through websites and apps. They may rush you into making an investment, trick you into thinking you're chatting with a loved one, or hoodwink you with the promise of a prize, tech support, or a refund. Now, crooks are even using AI to dish out more convincing scams faster than ever, so it's important you have the absolute best phone settings to avoid being another victim parted from their savings. Here are the iPhone and Android tricks you need to activate immediately to keep yourself and you cash safe. IPHONE TRICK #1 – SILENCE UNKNOWN NUMBERS Cold calls are a classic way for crooks to target you with a scam. So go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Calls > Silence Unknown Callers, then turn it on. This will send any calls from unknown callers straight to voicemail. If it's important, they'll leave a voicemail. You can also read transcriptions of your voicemail in real time if you've got iOS 17 or later (go to Settings > General > Software Update to check). IPHONE TRICK #2 – CALL SCREENING This one isn't out yet, but it'll land on your iPhone with the imminent iOS 26 update (likely in September). Make sure to install that (in Settings > General > Software Update), and then a robot will answer your phone calls for you. 16 It'll ask their name and reason for calling, and write out the answer in real-time on your screen. Then you can decide whether to answer or if it sounds like a scam. This also prevents scammers from being able to hear your voice and cloning it for future cons. IPHONE TRICK #3 – LOCKDOWN MODE One extreme option is to turn on Lockdown Mode – but only do this if you think you're definitely being targeted by scammers. It'll block most message attachment types, as well as links and link previews, as well as incoming FaceTime calls from unknown numbers. 16 You'll also be prevented from automatically connecting to unsafe "non-secure" WiFi networks – and you'll be blocked from adding configuration profiles that let other people change settings on your phone. Your iPhone won't work to its full potential with Lockdown Mode on, so keep that in mind: this is only for extreme cases. To switch it on, just go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode > Turn On Lockdown Mode > Turn On Lockdown Mode, then follow the steps to restart your phone. IPHONE TRICK #4 – AUTHENTICATOR If you've accidentally given up your password, it's not the end of the world – as long as your online accounts also require a special authentication code to log in. You've probably had these coming via SMS, but you can also get them via an app. Authenticator codes from an app are far safer than the ones that come over text, because SMS messages are more easily hacked. And your iPhone has an authenticator code generator built in as standard. Go into the account settings for an app, then choose the option to add two-factor verification. Then scan the code with your iPhone camera, and Apple's iCloud Keychain will suggest adding it to your account. Then when you sign in, iCloud Keychain will automatically fill in the code for you. You can also manually add it by going into the Passwords app, and looking under the Codes tab. Then if you ever accidentally give up your password to an account, crooks still won't be able to log in. IPHONE TRICK #5 – CALL BLOCKING There are lots of apps that maintain giant lists of phone numbers that are known to be spam or scams. And your iPhone can use these apps to automatically block calls from these numbers. First, go to the Apple App Store in the UK, and download some call identification apps, like Truecaller or Whoscall. Then go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification. This will only appear if you've installed some ID apps. 16 16 Now, choose Silence Junk Callers, which will silence calls identified by your phone network as potential spam or fraud. This option may not appear if your phone network hasn't activated it. Then activate any Call Identification apps that you've installed. ANDROID TRICK #1 – SCAM DETECTION Millions of Android phones now have a feature called Scam Detection inside Google Messages. Make sure to update to the latest version of Android. Then when you're receiving texts, AI on your phone will scan your texts to look for "suspicious" signs that you're being scammed. It only works on conversations with non-contacts, and your texts won't be send to Google (unless you report the conversation). You'll see it working if a big red alert pops up that says "Likely Scam" – and then you'll be able report and block the sender. ANDROID TRICK #2 – APP SCANNER Dodgy apps are another way criminals will try to scam you. These apps might even seem legitimate, but they're actually silently harvesting your info or money in the background. Google automatically scans the apps you download from its Play Store – but often the most dangerous apps come are ones that you've installed from elsewhere. Go to the Google Play Store > Profile > Play Protect > Settings > Improve Harmful App Detection and turn it on. This will let Google scan apps that you've downloaded from outside of its own Play Store, potentially spotting scam apps that you've installed. Then you'll get the warnings and can delete them from your phone. ANOTHER SAFETY TRICK – CALL YOUR FAMILY! The Sun's tech editor Sean Keach has another useful scam-busting trick that requires no changes to settings at all... One of the most devastating scams out there right now is the "Hi mum" con. This sees crooks texting parents or their kids posing as the other – saying they're reaching out from a new number and need help. It'll start innocently, but they'll quickly ask for cash for an urgent bill, taxi, or fine. Brits have lost thousands in one go to this brutal con. So call your loved ones today and set up a safe word or phrase. That way, if any of you asks the other for money, you'll be able to verify the request with a safe word. Don't pick something obvious like a place or birthday – and certainly don't write it down anywhere online or on your devices. This is the easiest way to avoid being caught up in a "Hi mum" scam, so don't delay – call your family today. ANDROID TRICK #3 – CALL BLOCKING One option is to outright block calls from unknown numbers. Just go to Phone > More > Settings > Blocked Numbers > Unknown, which blocks calls from private or unidentified numbers. You'll still get calls from phone numbers not stored in your contacts though. And like iPhone, you can also use spam-busting apps to identify scam callers too. Just download an app like Hiya or Truecaller, both of which maintain giant lists of known spammers and scammers. That way, you can easily avoid dodgy calls. ANDROID TRICK #4 – AUTHENTICATOR Like with iPhone, Android phones also have a way to serve up log-in codes. These give you an extra layer of protection on top of your password – and they're safer than the ones you get via text. On Android, the standard option is the Google Authenticator app. It's totally free and will generate log-in codes for apps and websites whenever you need them. That way, even if you accidentally give your password to a scammer, you'll still be protected. ANDROID TRICK #5 – ADVANCED PROTECTION MODE The iPhone's Lockdown Mode doesn't exist on Android – but there's something very similar called Advanced Protection Mode. You'll need to update to the latest Android 16 software (just go to Settings > System > Software Update and follow the instructions). 16 It's designed for VIPs who might be targeted by crooks – like celebs or politicians – but anyone can use it for free. If you toggle the button on, it'll activate a long list of hardcore security features to help you dodge scams and boost your security. That includes preventing your phone from being hacked by a physical cable, using AI to detect scam calls live as they're happening, saving you from unsafe Wi-Fi, and blocking you from unsafe websites and apps. You'll find it in Settings > Google > Personal & Device Safety > Advanced Protection > Device Protection. 16
CNET
13-06-2025
- CNET
It's About Darn Time: Apple Will Finally Screen Your Calls and Messages
There's one big feature I'm looking forward to in iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and MacOS Tahoe 26, and it's one that Apple should have added ages ago: call and text screening. It could do more than keep me from talking to strangers -- it could keep me safe from scammers looking to steal my information or my identity. Similar to features from Google and Samsung, Apple's Call Screening vets unknown callers by checking what they want before sending them your way. The company announced the capability at its Worldwide Developers Conference 2025 keynote. This could help curb the threat of AI voice clone scams, which allow scammers to create AI voice clones with just 3 seconds of recorded voice. These call and message screening features may come years after many of Apple's competitors have already implemented them, but it's an easy W for Apple nonetheless. I'm Impressed With iOS 26. Apple Just Made iPhones Better I'm Impressed With iOS 26. Apple Just Made iPhones Better Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:06 Loaded : 100.00% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:06 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. I'm Impressed With iOS 26. Apple Just Made iPhones Better There's also a new text message filtering capability that places messages from unknown senders into a separate folder for you to review or ignore. This could help limit the number of people who fall for job, toll or other text phishing scams. I get two, maybe three of these text messages a week. Having them on their own little island may not stop the frequency at which they're sent, but it will certainly provide some peace of mind that I won't accidentally click a scam link or fall for an AI phishing scam. Plus, a less cluttered inbox is always nice. Apple's new features come at a good time, too. A recent CNET survey showed that 96% of Americans receive at least one scam message from email, phone calls or texts each week. While Apple may be late to the party, anything that helps fewer scams reach you is a welcomed addition.
The Sun
10-06-2025
- The Sun
Sneaky new iPhone trick saves you from bank-emptying phone calls by letting scam-busting ‘robot' answer for you
Sean Keach, Head of Technology and Science Published: Invalid Date, A TIME-SAVING (and wallet-rescuing) new iPhone feature lets a robot "screen" your calls for you. How many times have you answered the phone only to be met with silence, a spammer, or a sinister scammer? Probably too many to count. 7 7 This age-old problem is a nightmare for anyone with a phone – and that's pretty much everyone. So Apple has come up with a solution for iPhone owners called Call Screening. It comes out in the upcoming iOS 26 update, which is expected to land on millions of iPhone models for free in September this year. The feature works like Live Voicemail, a 2024 feature that transcribes voicemails in real time – giving you a chance to answer them. Call Screening will answer the phone for you, and then use a robot voice to speak to the caller automatically. It'll ask the caller for their name and reason for calling – and then relay it to you. You can then view the reply and answer, or ignore the call completely. This means you can easily verify whether a call is worth taking or not. It also prevents scammers from being able to hear your voice and then clone it. Crooks can record you saying certain phrases, and even create AI "fakes" of your voice to use for future scams. iPhone 16e review – I've secretly tested Apple's cheapest mobile and I love the new button but that's not the best bit But this feature puts a stop to that scam, because you no longer have to answer the phone to see if the caller is a crook. The Phone app is also getting a revamp to have a new "unified" layout. This means you can have a combined tab with Favourites, Recents and Voicemail all in one place. The change is optional, so you don't have to accept it if you don't want to. And there's a new Hold Assistant function that will "hold" phone calls for you while you wait for a human to answer – and alert you once the customer service agent actually picks up. IOS 26 SUPPORTED DEVICES – THE FULL LIST Here are the iOS 26 supported devices... iPhone 16e iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhone 14 Plus iPhone 14 Pro iPhone 14 Pro Max iPhone 13 iPhone 13 mini iPhone 13 Pro iPhone 13 Pro Max iPhone 12 iPhone 12 mini iPhone 12 Pro iPhone 12 Pro Max iPhone 11 iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 Pro Max iPhone SE (3rd gen) iPhone SE (2nd gen) Picture Credit: Apple GET THE MESSAGE Apple is also doing some work to clean up your Messages inbox too. After all, scammers and spammers don't just target you over the phone – they'll send you texts too. Thankfully Apple is now making it possible to easily screen texts sent by strangers. Apple explains: "In Messages, users can now screen messages from unknown senders, giving them more control over who appears in their conversation list. 7 "Messages from unknown senders will appear in a dedicated folder where users can then mark the number as known, ask for more information, or delete. "These messages will remain silenced until a user accepts them." To find the menu once you have iOS 26 installed, just tap on the filter icon in the top-right corner of your chat list. Then you'll see an option for Unknown Senders. Tap that and you'll be taken to the dedicated window that lets you choose whether to accept or reject the messages. The Messages app also received a couple of other tweaks. It's now possible to send polls to pals in Messages – just like on WhatsApp. And you can also set custom backgrounds for your chats, and they'll sync with the contacts in those conversations too.
CNET
09-06-2025
- CNET
Apple's Finally Adding Call and Message Screening. Better Late Than Never, I Say
Apple's new call and text screening feature could do more than keep you from talking to strangers -- it could keep you safe from scammers looking to steal your information or your identity. Similar to features from Google and Samsung, Apple's Call Screening vets unknown callers by checking what they want before sending them your way. The company announced the capability at its WWDC 2025 keynote. This could help curb the threat of AI voice clone scams, which allow scammers to create AI voice clones with just three seconds of voice. These call and message screening features may come years after many of Apple's competitors have already implemented them, but it's an easy W for Apple nonetheless. There's also a new text message filtering capability that places messages from unknown senders into a separate folder for you to review or ignore. This could help limit the number of people who fall for job, toll, or other text phishing scams. I get two, maybe three of these text messages a week. Having them on their own little island may not stop the frequency at which they're sent, but it will certainly provide some peace of mind that I won't accidentally click a scam link or fall for some AI phishing scam. Plus, a less cluttered inbox is always nice. Apple's new features come at a good time, too. A recent CNET survey showed that 96% of Americans receive at least one scam message from email, phone calls or texts each week. While Apple may be late to the party, anything that helps fewer scams reach you is a welcomed addition.
