This handy NordVPN tool flags scam calls on Android - even before you answer

NordVPN / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

ZDNET's key takeaways

• NordVPN can detect a scam call before you answer it.
• The Scam Call Protection is only for NordVPN Premium Android users.
• Future features include caller ID for legitimate calls and an option to report.

Your phone rings, but the call is from an unknown number. Should you pick it up? It could be important. Or it could be a scam call. You're not sure what to do. Well, a new tool from the folks at NordVPN could help you decide.

Scam Call Protection

Now baked into the NordVPN Android app (in the US only for now), a new feature named Scam Call Protection tries to determine the nature of a call before you answer it. 

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Designed for NordVPN Premium users, the protection analyzes a call's metadata without accessing the content of the call. If the call is deemed to be spam, the tool will flash a warning message next to the phone number so you don't have to waste time picking it up.

How to set it up

To set up Scam Call Protection, download and turn on the NordVPN app on your Android phone. In the app, head to the Threat Protection screen and turn on the feature. You'll then be directed to your Android settings to complete the setup. 

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Follow the instructions to enable all the required settings. Go back to the NordVPN app, and the protection will now be in place.

Future improvements

For the future, NordVPN is already eyeing additional features to beef up the protection. One improvement would put a caller's ID on the screen for legitimate calls from strangers. Another would provide more categories in which to place a call, including finance, services, or healthcare. With a third improvement, you'd be able to report spam calls that weren't identified as such.

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"Our mission has always been to protect people's digital lives," Mykolas Dumcius, chief product officer at NordVPN, said in a new blog post. "Scam Call Protection extends that promise by offering users a way to defend themselves from phone-based scams -- without compromising privacy."

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