{"id":15418,"date":"2025-07-11T19:51:19","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T17:51:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=15418"},"modified":"2026-03-12T10:16:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T08:16:31","slug":"spam-calls-surge-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/spam-calls-surge-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Spam Calls Surge in South Africa: Why Apps, Laws,\u202fand Tech\u202fFixes Aren\u2019t Enough"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-south-africans-now-face-record-high-spam-and-scam-calls-even-with-truecaller-samsung-smart-call-and-tougher-popia-rules-here-s-why-the-menace-persists-and-how-to-fight-back\"><em>South Africans now face record\u2011high spam and scam calls, even with Truecaller, Samsung Smart\u202fCall and tougher POPIA rules. Here\u2019s why the menace persists and how to fight back.<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-bad-is-the-problem\">How Bad Is the Problem?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask anyone with a South African cellphone and they\u2019ll confirm it: nuisance calls are multiplying. TechCentral\u2019s latest report bluntly declares the \u201cspam call epidemic is getting worse by the day.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Globally, Truecaller logged 56\u202fbillion spam or fraud calls in 2024 and says it now serves 450\u202fmillion monthly users. South Africa consistently ranks in the world\u2019s top ten most\u2011targeted nations for voice scams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-995582662\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-third-party-apps-helpful-but-under-fire\">Third\u2011Party Apps: Helpful, but Under Fire<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For many, crowd\u2011sourced blockers such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.truecaller.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Truecaller<\/a> are the first line of defence. They work by comparing every unknown number against a constantly updated community database. Yet the Information Regulator opened a POPIA compliance probe into Truecaller in November\u202f2024, questioning how the app handles users\u2019 personal data, casting doubt on its long\u2011term availability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-device-native-shields-samsung-vs-apple\">Device\u2011Native Shields: Samsung vs\u202fApple<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Samsung Smart\u202fCall<\/strong> (built into many Galaxy devices) flashes on\u2011screen warnings for suspected fraud and lets you bar or report offenders with a tap. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Apple iOS\u202f26 Call\u202fScreening<\/strong>\u2014announced at WWDC\u202f25\u2014routes unknown calls to an on\u2011device AI bot that asks \u201cWhy are you calling?\u201d before your phone even rings, then shows the response as live captions so you can decide whether to pick up. The feature lands with iOS\u202f26 this spring. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>While native tools earn more trust (no third\u2011party data sharing), their spam databases are still smaller than Truecaller\u2019s, limiting accuracy, especially on iPhone, where deep third\u2011party integration is constrained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>READ: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/rain-launches-loop-device-r475-month\/\">Rain Launches Loop Device: Unlimited\u202f5G with Zone\u2011Based Coverage for\u202fR475\/Month<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tougher-laws-but-new-loopholes\">Tougher Laws\u2014But New Loopholes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In April\u202f2025, the Information Regulator amended POPIA regulations to force direct marketers to obtain recorded, verifiable consent before every sales call. \u201cOpt\u2011out\u201d no longer counts as valid consent, and marketers must keep recordings on hand if a consumer demands deletion of their data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet scammers spoof numbers, hop between cheap VoIP routes and target fresh SIMs before any blacklist updates\u2014so the bad calls still slip through. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-3032635465\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-the-calls-keep-coming\">Why the Calls Keep Coming<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Low cost &amp; high conversion<\/strong> \u2013 Bulk VoIP minutes remain cheap; even a 1\u202f% \u201chit rate\u201d is profitable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Number spoofing<\/strong> \u2013 Overseas fraudsters pose as local banks to dodge detection.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fragmented enforcement<\/strong> \u2013 POPIA fines bite after the fact; they don\u2019t block calls in real time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Database churn<\/strong> \u2013 Telemarketers constantly rotate numbers to evade app\u2011based blocking. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-you-can-do-right-now\">What You Can Do Right Now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Enable native filters<\/strong>: Turn on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.samsung.com\/us\/apps\/smart-call\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Samsung Smart\u202fCall<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-za\/111106\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iOS\u202fCall Screening<\/a> as soon as the update drops.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use a reputable blocker<\/strong>: Until regulators decide otherwise, Truecaller still catches most cold\u2011callers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Leverage POPIA rights<\/strong>: Formally demand any company cease processing your number for marketing (section\u202f11 &amp;\u202f69). <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Report offenders<\/strong>: Lodge complaints with the Information Regulator and WASPA; repeat violators do face fines.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Never share OTPs or banking info<\/strong>: The majority of South African voice scams revolve around \u201caccount verification.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-1344544008\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-network-level-authentication\">Network\u2011Level Authentication<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>International carriers are rolling out the STIR\/SHAKEN caller\u2011ID authentication framework; it digitally signs every SIP call to prove the caller\u2019s identity and expose spoofed numbers. Adoption is patchy outside North America, but local telcos are studying similar standards\u2014an essential next step if South Africa hopes to stem the tide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apps, handset features and stricter laws each plug part of the leak\u2014but none alone can drain the flood. Until the telecom industry, regulators and consumers move in lock\u2011step (with tech like STIR\/SHAKEN and aggressive POPIA enforcement), South Africans should brace for more unwanted rings\u2014and keep those blockers switched on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also read: <a href=\"https:\/\/gauteng.news\/2025\/04\/23\/what-to-do-whatsapp-account-hacked\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">What to Do if Your WhatsApp Account Gets Hacked<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spam Calls Surge in South Africa: Why Apps, Laws,\u202fand Tech\u202fFixes Aren\u2019t Enough<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":15550,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"Spam Calls Surge in South Africa: Why Apps, Laws,\u202fand Tech\u202fFixes Aren\u2019t Enough","footnotes":""},"categories":[3298],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-15418","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15418"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15418\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15552,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15418\/revisions\/15552"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}