Cybersecurity company NordVPN is rolling out a Scam Call Protection feature for Android users in the United States, giving people a new way to spot and dodge fraudulent calls and stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. This privacy-first tool is designed to warn users of potential scam calls before they pick up the phone – helping to prevent fraud, phishing, and identity theft in real time.
“We’ve always been about protecting people’s digital lives, and phone scams are a huge part of that threat landscape now,” says Mykolas Dumcius, chief product officer at NordVPN. “The Scam Call Protection feature is our way of extending that protection beyond just internet browsing because your phone shouldn’t be a gateway for scammers either.”
Privacy and control at your fingertips
Scam calls continue to increase across the US (and globally). According to statistics from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), the losses sustained from scam calls in 2024 totaled to nearly $2 billion in stolen money. Users are in need of new tools to protect themselves, and NordVPN’s Scam Call Protection feature is one of these tools.
It gives an early warning, notifying the recipient of a potential scam attempt before they can pick up the phone. That puts the user on alert, likely making them less susceptible to social engineering attacks, phishing, and other scam scenarios that may result in financial loss or identity theft.
The Scam Call Protection feature uses a privacy-first approach that looks at call patterns and metadata to spot potential scams without ever touching your actual conversations. Your calls stay private, and the feature runs quietly in the background without needing an active VPN connection.
Setting up the Scam Call Protection feature is simple: Users need to open the NordVPN Android app, navigate to the “Threat Protection” tab, and toggle the feature on. The app will then guide them through updating the necessary Android settings. Once setup is complete, Scam Call Protection runs silently in the background, providing real-time scam alerts – even when the VPN is not in use.
What to expect in the future
“Scam Call Protection is just the beginning. NordVPN is already working on several enhancements to make the feature even more effective. Future updates will include caller identification for legitimate numbers, so users can see who’s calling from unknown numbers before deciding whether to answer,” says Mykolas Dumcius.
NordVPN is also developing more specific call categories beyond basic scam alerts. Users will get clearer information about incoming calls, whether they’re from finance companies, healthcare providers, customer service, or other business types. Another planned feature is a user reporting system that will let people flag suspicious numbers, helping to strengthen the scam database for everyone.
NordVPN also plans to expand Scam Call Protection on iPhone devices and make it available in more countries, bringing protection to more people.
