The Feds Have A New Solution For Spoof Calls In Canada & Here's How It All Works

If you're tired of getting spoof or scam phone calls in Canada, the federal government is coming to your rescue with a solution!

On Tuesday, November 30, Canadian telecom companies started using a piece of tech called STIR/SHAKEN, which aims to help reduce the number of annoying calls from fake numbers.

It works by service providers certifying whether the identity of a caller can be trusted, which is verified through "caller ID information for Internet Protocol-based voice calls," according to the feds.

With networks and phones being upgraded, they say that Canadians should be able to see the effects of the STIR/SHAKEN pretty soon, which means phone owners will hopefully get fewer fraudulent calls.

"This new caller ID technology will empower Canadians to determine which calls are legitimate and worth answering, and which need to be treated with caution," said Ian Scott, chairperson and CEO of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

He also said that it will help to give Canadians "peace of mind" when answering the phone.

According to the release, spoof calls are when callers either hide or misrepresent themselves by showing fake numbers to call people.

In addition to the new technology, the federal agency has introduced several strategies over the past few years to limit the number of nuisance phone calls, such as asking service providers to block certain types of calls and offering call-filtering services to customers.

They also warn that you should never give personal or secure information over the phone, unless you are absolutely positive that the request is legitimate and trustworthy.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.