The feature extends digital security beyond internet browsing to combat scam calls
In July, cybersecurity company NordVPN introduced the call protection feature (formerly known as scam call protection) for Android users in the United States. We are now expanding this feature to the United Kingdom and Canada. The rebranding to “call protection” reflects our focus on moving beyond scam detection and including more detailed caller identification.
NordVPN users will get clearer information about incoming calls, whether they’re from finance companies, healthcare providers, customer service desks, 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 call protection on iPhone devices and make it available in more countries, bringing protection to more people.
“Scam calls are a global problem that requires a global solution,” says Domininkas Virbickas, product director at NordVPN. “By expanding call protection to the UK and Canada, we’re taking another step toward our goal of making phone communication safer and more transparent for users worldwide. We want to give people the context they need to make informed decisions about every call.”
Privacy and control at your fingertips
Scam calls continue to rise globally, causing significant financial damage. According to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), UK residents lost approximately £11 billion to scams in 2024. Phone calls accounted for about 60% of these fraudulent schemes. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reports that as of September 30, Canadians had already lost C$544 million to scams this year, approaching the C$645 million total recorded for all of 2024.
NordVPN’s call protection feature 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 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 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, call protection runs silently in the background, providing real-time scam alerts – even when the VPN is not in use.