[msdivy]

Originally Posted by DigitalOne

My Samsung Android phone has this service called Hiya which also does the job well. Since Hiya does not access the users' contact book, as I believe, it does not have a database of all numbers and hence does not show the name of the spam caller. As per there website, they rely on sophisticated AI/ML stuff to figure out whether it is spam.

They can identify as spam only if somebody has already reported the number as spam. Most of the time it is fine. But you have to watch out for false positives where in legitimate call is marked as spam. What is spam for somebody may not be spam for you.

Originally Posted by Mumbaiker

My number still doesnt exist in their directory. I am so proud

I think it doesn't matter whether you have or not registered with Truecaller. Whatever your name is stored as in your contacts phone will show up in Truecaller.

[DigitalOne]

Originally Posted by msdivy

They can identify as spam only if somebody has already reported the number as spam. Most of the time it is fine. But you have to watch out for false positives where in legitimate call is marked as spam. What is spam for somebody may not be spam for you.

Not really. There are other ways to detect spam calls - Number of outgoing vs incoming calls, duration of calls, etc. Of course, false positives could be there. And that's why they term it as "Suspected spam".

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Almost all of us unlucky guys who have an iphone

This is how it shows (for 5 out of 10 times) if the data is present on Truecaller. Please go to Truecaller app in Settings and select all options. Should work.

Originally Posted by Sheel

I don't know what is wrong, but on mine, sometimes it does show up. Simultaneously or a few seconds later (and not before as in Android & if the details are present on Truecaller).

iPhone 13
Version 15.5
Truecaller version - 11.53

[mvadg]

I have Truecaller and it works, but I sometimes wonder if someone has been incorrectly blacklisted.

In the case of government employees, I suspect they blacklist themselves so the person on the other side doesn't pick up the call.

I have drawn these conclusions as mentioned above after having experienced a few such incorrect classifications.

My real concern is, why isn't a government body like the TRAI creating an authenticated directory of phone numbers? But I know better than to ask on forums such as this.

[searacer932]

I have been using the paid version of the TrueCaller App for the past 8-9 months or so and it has massively helped in cutting down spam calls by 99%.

I got a discount on the pricing during Diwali 2021 and quickly bought the paid version of the app. The paid version automatically blocks the spam calls majority of the times.

[mayankk]

I've consciously and viciously started reporting and updating spam calls on truecaller. In a vindictive and a fun for me manner. Also, a manner which ensures that when my reported number pops up on any screen, you'll know that this is definitely spam.

It's as a combination of defecation medium + cocktail/food preparation style.
Yes, a man child.

[Ford5]

Alright so I’m shocked to see that the latest version of Truecaller on iOS is still able to access financial messages even though messages permissions are turned off.

Checked everything inside out again and there’s no option to turn off texts within the Truecaller app and when I check my iPhone settings whatever privacy option for message is available is already restricted to iPhone only and not any other app.

Note: Other commercial spam messages/Normal sms messages do not show up on this app.

This is specific to financial/bank updates only.

Has Truecaller bypassed some Apple API to include financial messages (crucial to any spam telemarketer) to appear in the Truecaller App?

Or is it like an arrangement between bank sms providers and Truecaller to show financial/bank account credits and debit specifically?

Checked the details of one message and it shows a regular mobile number instead of the banks short form which appear on text messages (Second screenshot)

Device: iPhone X running iOS 15.4

Any idea about this iPhone Truecaller BHPians?

All I wanted to do was check a number on Truecaller and I see this Spam app
Accessing my bank updates

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by mvadg

My real concern is, why isn't a government body like the TRAI creating an authenticated directory of phone numbers? But I know better than to ask on forums such as this.

https://www.indiatoday.in/technology...344-2022-05-21

They already are

[DhinaStark94]

Originally Posted by dicor

Initially around 2012-13, I was very skeptical about truecaller and never installed it on my phone. The sole reason was I never wanted to make mine and family members number to be visible.

This was a myth, if not my phone, truecaller anyways took it from my friend's phone. If you wish to not appear your number on anyone's phone. You can simply do it easily on their website.

Today I am big advocate of truecaller, I like the features provided by them. Almost every app in phone has access to our contact book so why not truecaller.

I still did not install truecaller SMS app. I think, giving SMS access is way too much.

Have you noticed with recent versions even after you remove the sms permission in Android , the app still shows messages!! How is that possible?whenever i make upi payments the app updates me of the sms recieved!!! Im okay with sharing my number, but this is a little too much!

[DhinaStark94]

Originally Posted by Ford5

Alright so I’m shocked to see that the latest version of Truecaller on iOS is still able to access financial messages even though messages permissions are turned off.

Checked everything inside out again and there’s no option to turn off texts within the Truecaller app and when I check my iPhone settings whatever privacy option for message is available is already restricted to iPhone only and not any other app.

Note: Other commercial spam messages/Normal sms messages do not show up on this app.

This is specific to financial/bank updates only.

Has Truecaller bypassed some Apple API to include financial messages (crucial to any spam telemarketer) to appear in the Truecaller App?

Or is it like an arrangement between bank sms providers and Truecaller to show financial/bank account credits and debit specifically?

Checked the details of one message and it shows a regular mobile number instead of the banks short form which appear on text messages (Second screenshot)

Device: iPhone X running iOS 15.4

Any idea about this iPhone Truecaller BHPians?

All I wanted to do was check a number on Truecaller and I see this Spam app
Accessing my bank updates

Okay so now I'm really reallly concerned. Ive been noticing this since the last update and ive tried everything and it's still reading financial messages. I have no idea from where its getting the perimission as i have denied it.Schoked to see the same in something as secure as IOS! . Please let me know if any one has a solution.

[dynomite]

Originally Posted by Ford5

Alright so I’m shocked to see that the latest version of Truecaller on iOS is still able to access financial messages even though messages permissions are turned off.

Checked everything inside out again and there’s no option to turn off texts within the Truecaller app and when I check my iPhone settings whatever privacy option for message is available is already restricted to iPhone only and not any other app.

Note: Other commercial spam messages/Normal sms messages do not show up on this app.

This is specific to financial/bank updates only.

Has Truecaller bypassed some Apple API to include financial messages (crucial to any spam telemarketer) to appear in the Truecaller App?

Or is it like an arrangement between bank sms providers and Truecaller to show financial/bank account credits and debit specifically?

Checked the details of one message and it shows a regular mobile number instead of the banks short form which appear on text messages (Second screenshot)

Device: iPhone X running iOS 15.4

Any idea about this iPhone Truecaller BHPians?

All I wanted to do was check a number on Truecaller and I see this Spam app
Accessing my bank updates

Originally Posted by DhinaStark94

Okay so now I'm really reallly concerned. Ive been noticing this since the last update and ive tried everything and it's still reading financial messages. I have no idea from where its getting the perimission as i have denied it.Schoked to see the same in something as secure as IOS! . Please let me know if any one has a solution.

So here's some information from a news article:

https://www.gadgetsnow.com/tech-news...w/84310817.cms

"challenge was to do the data processing offline, on the user's handset, rather than any remote server (for the SMS feature). This was needed to assure users of data privacy, since many messages contained important financial information".

This is from a blog post (official company blog)
https://www.truecaller.com/blog/feat...-aka-smart-sms

"It is extra filter on your phone for SMS, where all the algorithms & machine learning runs within your phone. The smart information is securely stored in your device and will never leave your phone.

Remember, Truecaller will never use any information from the Chhota SMS to identify or target you with ads."

[dynomite]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

I posted this on the Iphone thread as I wasn’t aware about this one. Reposting here since it’s more relevant.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Almost all of us unlucky guys who have an iphone

The app works a lot better on Android because you can grant the necessary permissions. iOS places restrictions on third-party apps.

For iPhone,
Open the Settings app on iPhone
Go to Phone
Go to Call Blocking & Identification
Turn on all the options for Truecaller

(copied this information from - https://www.truecaller.com/blog/feat...tures-improved)

[Ford5]

Originally Posted by dynomite

So here's some information from a news article:
Remember, Truecaller will never use any information from the Chhota SMS to identify or target you with ads."

This Chhota SMS/Smart SMS is unrelated to iPhone and the screenshots shown on the page show only the Android Truecaller UI. I searched for iPhone Chhota SMS/Smart SMS and nothing related to iPhone comes up anywhere on the truecaller site/blog or other sites that talk about this feature.

The "Important" tab appears only in Truecaller Android (I use both iOS & Android) and I checked both now.

So its proven beyond doubt now that they have accessed text messages of
of iPhone users without explicit permission.

Question remains as to how Apple is allowing this to happen when permissions for text messages to truecaller is turned off.

I guessed this the moment I read about this Chhota SMS thing, it's basically designed to very smartly fool a user into thinking his SMS content is being masked, not sent to Truecaller, not leaving the users phone etc etc which is utter rubbish and the way the app is functioning on iPhone proves beyond doubt the Truecaller is indeed a very sophisticated Spam enabler as it is a source of users who mark spam and also receive spam again, I could say a
"Self sustaining Spam Cycle" while doxxing and at the same time charging those users for so-called "Premium features"

Well done Truecaller, well done

[kap04]

Viceroy report coming out with some serious allegations

https://finshots.in/archive/the-prob...th-truecaller/

[DigitalOne]

Originally Posted by kap04

Viceroy report coming out with some serious allegations

https://finshots.in/archive/the-prob...th-truecaller/

This part of Truecaller was always true.

For instance, look at how Truecaller builds its massive database of users. Once someone installs the app, Truecaller seeks permission to access their phonebook. They look at the phonebook and scrape all the user’s contacts. The list of contacts could even include you — even if you haven’t downloaded or registered with Truecaller in the first place. You are now a part of their database even though you didn’t explicitly consent to any of this. All because you were a part of someone else’s contact book. And that someone inadvertently signed away your privacy rights when they installed Truecaller.

I wonder how the fans of Truecaller never realized this . Thanks for sharing my number with Truecaller .

Better to use a service like Hiya (Truecaller identifies 29.7 billion spam calls, 8.5 billion spam SMS for Indian users in '19), as I posted earlier (#73) in this thread.