New Delhi: India’s fight against digital scams has become more intense over the past few years. Fraud calls, impersonation tricks, and even AI voice cloning
scams are now targeting ordinary mobile users. Many families have at least one person who acts as the unofficial tech support. That person usually gets the late night call from parents or relatives asking if a number looks suspicious.
Truecaller is now trying to address this problem with a new feature aimed at protecting entire households instead of individual users. The communications platform has launched a tool called Family Protection in India. The system allows a small group of trusted people to create a shared security network against spam and scam calls.
Truecaller introduces family protection system
Truecaller says the new feature creates what it calls a Safety Circle. Up to five people can join a group where one or more members act as administrators who manage security settings for everyone.
The idea is simple. If one family member is good with technology, they can help protect the rest of the household.
Rishit Jhunjhunwala, CEO of Truecaller, explained the thinking behind the move, “Identifying who is calling is a 2010 solution. In 2026, the question is if the call is safe to answer,” he said.
He added that scams have become more personal and emotionally manipulative, which requires stronger collective protection.
How the family group system works
The feature allows users to create a trusted group within the app. Each group can include up to five participants.
Two main roles exist inside the group:
- Admin who manages protection settings
- Member who receives protection coverage
Admins can configure shared protection levels and block suspicious numbers for the entire group. They can also receive alerts if a family member is speaking with a potential scammer.
Remote call ending feature adds extra protection
One of the most unusual features is something called Remote Call Ending. If the system detects that a member is speaking with a known fraud number, the administrator receives an alert.
The admin can then end the call remotely from their phone.
Truecaller says the member immediately receives a notification explaining that the call was terminated because it appeared to be fraudulent.
Privacy controls remain limited to safety signals
Truecaller says the system does not expose personal conversations or call history between members. Family admins cannot read SMS messages or view normal call logs.
Only safety related signals are shared inside the group.
These signals include:
- Potential fraud calls
- Device security status
- Phone settings such as silent mode
This data sharing happens only after users provide consent when joining a family group.
Free access with optional premium features
The company says the basic version of Family Protection is available without payment. Users can create groups and activate core protections for free.
Some advanced settings require a Premium Family subscription.
