The secret settings to ‘scam-proof’ your phone, stop crooks stealing your private photos & £1000s from your bank account
THOUSANDS of pounds gone in seconds, your private pics in the hands of strangers, and your loved ones ripped off too – these are just a few of the nightmare consequences of a smartphone scam.
I’ve spent years writing about how to dodge increasingly convincing online cons that cost Brits millions a year – and it only takes a few seconds to avoid disaster by changing settings on your iPhone or Android.
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Online scams are big business and a recent Ofcom report warned that almost half of Brits have been drawn in by clever scammers.
A quarter of those had lost money, with a fifth losing at least £1,000.
They can come over the phone, text, or email, or through websites and apps.
They may rush you into making an investment, trick you into thinking you’re chatting with a loved one, or hoodwink you with the promise of a prize, tech support, or a refund.
Now, crooks are even using AI to dish out more convincing scams faster than ever, so it’s important you have the absolute best phone settings to avoid being another victim parted from their savings.
Here are the iPhone and Android tricks you need to activate immediately to keep yourself and you cash safe.
Table of Contents
IPHONE TRICK #1 – SILENCE UNKNOWN NUMBERS
Cold calls are a classic way for crooks to target you with a scam.
So go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Calls > Silence Unknown Callers, then turn it on.
This will send any calls from unknown callers straight to voicemail. If it’s important, they’ll leave a voicemail.
You can also read transcriptions of your voicemail in real time if you’ve got iOS 17 or later (go to Settings > General > Software Update to check).
IPHONE TRICK #2 – CALL SCREENING
This one isn’t out yet, but it’ll land on your iPhone with the imminent iOS 26 update (likely in September).
Make sure to install that (in Settings > General > Software Update), and then a robot will answer your phone calls for you.
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It’ll ask their name and reason for calling, and write out the answer in real-time on your screen. Then you can decide whether to answer or if it sounds like a scam.
This also prevents scammers from being able to hear your voice and cloning it for future cons.
IPHONE TRICK #3 – LOCKDOWN MODE
One extreme option is to turn on Lockdown Mode – but only do this if you think you’re definitely being targeted by scammers.
It’ll block most message attachment types, as well as links and link previews, as well as incoming FaceTime calls from unknown numbers.
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You’ll also be prevented from automatically connecting to unsafe “non-secure” WiFi networks – and you’ll be blocked from adding configuration profiles that let other people change settings on your phone.
Your iPhone won’t work to its full potential with Lockdown Mode on, so keep that in mind: this is only for extreme cases.
To switch it on, just go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode > Turn On Lockdown Mode > Turn On Lockdown Mode, then follow the steps to restart your phone.
IPHONE TRICK #4 – AUTHENTICATOR
If you’ve accidentally given up your password, it’s not the end of the world – as long as your online accounts also require a special authentication code to log in.
WHY ARE AUTHENTICATORS SAFER THAN TEXT CODES?
Here’s official advice from cybersecurity giant Bitdefender…
“Threat actors will use data leaks, public records or social engineering to get your phone number,” security firm Bitdefender explained.
“Then bribe or trick a carrier employee to port your number to a duplicate SIM card they control.
“This enables them to receive your SMS verification codes and break into your various online accounts.
“Authenticator apps work locally, meaning there’s no way for an attacker to intercept your codes.
“Unless they’ve infected you with data-stealing malware, but that’s a different discussion.”
Picture Credit: Getty Images
You’ve probably had these coming via SMS, but you can also get them via an app.
Authenticator codes from an app are far safer than the ones that come over text, because SMS messages are more easily hacked.
And your iPhone has an authenticator code generator built in as standard.
Go into the account settings for an app, then choose the option to add two-factor verification.
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Then scan the code with your iPhone camera, and Apple’s iCloud Keychain will suggest adding it to your account.
Then when you sign in, iCloud Keychain will automatically fill in the code for you.
You can also manually add it by going into the Passwords app, and looking under the Codes tab.
Then if you ever accidentally give up your password to an account, crooks still won’t be able to log in.
IPHONE TRICK #5 – CALL BLOCKING
There are lots of apps that maintain giant lists of phone numbers that are known to be spam or scams.
And your iPhone can use these apps to automatically block calls from these numbers.
First, go to the Apple App Store in the UK, and download some call identification apps, like Truecaller or Whoscall.
Then go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification. This will only appear if you’ve installed some ID apps.
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Now, choose Silence Junk Callers, which will silence calls identified by your phone network as potential spam or fraud. This option may not appear if your phone network hasn’t activated it.
Then activate any Call Identification apps that you’ve installed.
ANDROID TRICK #1 – SCAM DETECTION
Millions of Android phones now have a feature called Scam Detection inside Google Messages.
Make sure to update to the latest version of Android.
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Then when you’re receiving texts, AI on your phone will scan your texts to look for “suspicious” signs that you’re being scammed.
It only works on conversations with non-contacts, and your texts won’t be send to Google (unless you report the conversation).
You’ll see it working if a big red alert pops up that says “Likely Scam” – and then you’ll be able report and block the sender.
ANDROID TRICK #2 – APP SCANNER
Dodgy apps are another way criminals will try to scam you.
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These apps might even seem legitimate, but they’re actually silently harvesting your info or money in the background.
Google automatically scans the apps you download from its Play Store – but often the most dangerous apps come are ones that you’ve installed from elsewhere.
Go to the Google Play Store > Profile > Play Protect > Settings > Improve Harmful App Detection and turn it on.
This will let Google scan apps that you’ve downloaded from outside of its own Play Store, potentially spotting scam apps that you’ve installed. Then you’ll get the warnings and can delete them from your phone.
ANOTHER SAFETY TRICK – CALL YOUR FAMILY!
The Sun’s tech editor Sean Keach has another useful scam-busting trick that requires no changes to settings at all…
One of the most devastating scams out there right now is the “Hi mum” con.
This sees crooks texting parents or their kids posing as the other – saying they’re reaching out from a new number and need help.
It’ll start innocently, but they’ll quickly ask for cash for an urgent bill, taxi, or fine.
Brits have lost thousands in one go to this brutal con.
So call your loved ones today and set up a safe word or phrase.
That way, if any of you asks the other for money, you’ll be able to verify the request with a safe word.
Don’t pick something obvious like a place or birthday – and certainly don’t write it down anywhere online or on your devices.
This is the easiest way to avoid being caught up in a “Hi mum” scam, so don’t delay – call your family today.
Picture Credit: Sean Keach
ANDROID TRICK #3 – CALL BLOCKING
One option is to outright block calls from unknown numbers.
Just go to Phone > More > Settings > Blocked Numbers > Unknown, which blocks calls from private or unidentified numbers. You’ll still get calls from phone numbers not stored in your contacts though.
And like iPhone, you can also use spam-busting apps to identify scam callers too.
Just download an app like Hiya or Truecaller, both of which maintain giant lists of known spammers and scammers.
That way, you can easily avoid dodgy calls.
ANDROID TRICK #4 – AUTHENTICATOR
Like with iPhone, Android phones also have a way to serve up log-in codes.
These give you an extra layer of protection on top of your password – and they’re safer than the ones you get via text.
On Android, the standard option is the Google Authenticator app.
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It’s totally free and will generate log-in codes for apps and websites whenever you need them.
That way, even if you accidentally give your password to a scammer, you’ll still be protected.
ANDROID TRICK #5 – ADVANCED PROTECTION MODE
The iPhone’s Lockdown Mode doesn’t exist on Android – but there’s something very similar called Advanced Protection Mode.
You’ll need to update to the latest Android 16 software (just go to Settings > System > Software Update and follow the instructions).
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It’s designed for VIPs who might be targeted by crooks – like celebs or politicians – but anyone can use it for free.
If you toggle the button on, it’ll activate a long list of hardcore security features to help you dodge scams and boost your security.
That includes preventing your phone from being hacked by a physical cable, using AI to detect scam calls live as they’re happening, saving you from unsafe Wi-Fi, and blocking you from unsafe websites and apps.
You’ll find it in Settings > Google > Personal & Device Safety > Advanced Protection > Device Protection.
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