BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The news just keeps getting worse for scammers. Shortly after rolling out advanced scam protection to T-Mobile customers last spring, the Un-carrier today announced that both Scam ID and Scam Block will be available to MetroPCS customers starting tomorrow, July 25th—at no extra cost. And Scam ID and Scam Block will work on every single MetroPCS device because these advanced, patent-pending technologies are built directly into T-Mobile’s nationwide network.
Since T-Mobile launched Scam ID and Scam Block in April 2017, the Un-carrier has already identified and flagged or blocked over 243 million calls for customers. And though scammers succeed with only 0.2 percent of all calls, a successful scam can cost victims an average of $274 per person according to a study from Truecaller. The Un-carrier estimates Scam ID and Scam Block have already saved T-Mobile customers over $130 million in potential losses.
“Scam ID and Scam Block are perfect examples of what T-Mobile and MetroPCS are all about—we give you more without asking more from you,” said Mike Sievert, Chief Operating Officer for T-Mobile. “These advanced protection technologies put our customers in control, and even better, they are totally free! It’s a good day to be a MetroPCS customer—and a bad day to be a scammer!”
Though the technology behind Scam ID and Scam Block is advanced, the experience couldn’t be simpler for customers. With Scam ID, when an incoming call is identified by the network as a possible scam, your phone displays a “Scam Likely” alert along with the phone number. You can then choose to accept or decline the call. And, if you prefer never to be bothered by likely scam calls, you can simply turn on Scam Block, and MetroPCS will terminate the call before it ever reaches you.
Since rolling out Scam ID and Scam Block for T-Mobile customers, the Un-carrier has learned a lot about scammers’ habits and behavior.
- Scammers enjoy a regular work week. Most scam calls are made during business hours, 8 am ET to 5 pm PT, Monday through Friday.
- Weekdays during late afternoon are the peak busy time for scammers—up to 500,000 calls per hour are identified.
- Scammers take the weekends easy and make about half as many calls.
- Scammers like to keep it fresh. Most scam calls come from one time use numbers. Of over 500,000 uniquely identified scammer phone numbers, only around 24,000 numbers repeatedly make scam calls.
Starting July 25, Scam ID will be automatically enabled for all MetroPCS customers. To turn on Scam Block, customers can dial #ONB# (#662#) or, to turn it off, dial #OFB# (#632#). To check whether Scam Block is on or off, customers can dial #STS# (#787#).
T-Mobile and MetroPCS are part of an industry-wide effort to fight robocalling, led by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit V. Pai. Scam ID and Scam Block stop robocalls for T-Mobile and MetroPCS customers in their most insidious form—phone scams.
To learn more, visit https://www.metropcs.com/shop/plans starting on July 25, 2017.
MetroPCS is the flagship prepaid brand of T-Mobile US, Inc., and a leading provider of unlimited data, talk and text plans with taxes and regulatory fees included—so there are no surprises, period. MetroPCS offers the freedom and convenience of an affordable, no-contract wireless service, on a reliable network that covers 99% of people in the U.S.
About T-Mobile
As America's Un-carrier, T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is redefining the way consumers and businesses buy wireless services through leading product and service innovation. Our advanced nationwide 4G LTE network delivers outstanding wireless experiences to 69.6 million customers who are unwilling to compromise on quality and value. Based in Bellevue, Washington, T-Mobile US provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile and MetroPCS. For more information, please visit http://www.t-mobile.com.
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