Home / Technology / Surfshark Fights Back Against Text Scams
Surfshark Fights Back Against Text Scams
15 Sep
Summary
- 19.2 billion spam texts monthly in the US, tripling since 2021.
- Americans lost $373 million to text scams in 2023.
- Surfshark's new feature detects scams on-device for privacy.
The proliferation of scam texts has reached epidemic levels, with an estimated 19.2 billion spam messages bombarding American mobile phones each month in 2023, a threefold increase since 2021. These deceptive messages led to substantial financial losses, totaling $373 million for Americans in 2023 alone, a nearly 15% rise from the previous year. Surfshark has responded by introducing Scam Text Protection, a new feature designed to combat this surge.
This innovative, AI-driven feature operates directly on the device, enhancing user privacy by not storing message content or training AI models with personal data. It analyzes incoming messages for scam patterns using URLs, sender numbers, and message content. On Android, users receive real-time notifications about suspicious texts, while iOS users have these messages automatically routed to their spam folder, preventing them from cluttering the primary inbox.
Surfshark Scam Text Protection is now rolling out to all existing subscribers of Surfshark One and Surfshark One+ plans via a routine app update. The feature is included in these bundled security suites, which offer VPN services alongside antivirus and data breach monitoring. For new users, Surfshark One is the practical entry point, with the One+ plan offering additional identity theft coverage for US residents.
