Aura Introduces AI-Powered Scam Call and Text Protection Amid Surge in Crime

New features proactively protect users from call and text scams, which cost Americans $1.25 billion in 2022

BOSTON, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aura today announced the availability of the company's proprietary AI-powered Call Assistant as part of a suite of enhancements to protect consumers from phone and text message scams. Aura's Call Assistant will answer calls from unknown numbers and filter out unwanted spam and scam calls, only forwarding legitimate inquiries, such as delivery services and appointment reminders, to the user.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), American consumers reported losses of approximately $1.15 billion to phone and text scams in 2022. Imposter scams– where criminals pose as a trusted entity, such as a government agency, customer support from a well-known company, a charity, or a friend or family member, to trick a victim into giving them money or personal information– were the second most popular form of fraud in America in 2022.  In March of 2023, the FTC issued a warning to Americans that scammers are now using AI-generated "voice cloning" to make imposter scams even more convincing. With a short audio clip, lifted from social media or other online posting, the scammer can create a voice recording of a loved one in distress asking for immediate financial help.

"Scammers are getting smarter and more sophisticated," said Hari Ravichandran, founder and CEO of Aura. "New technologies- such as generative AI voices- are now widely available online making it harder for the average person on the other end of the phone to determine what's real and what's fake. By using AI, Aura can now turn the tables on these criminals and protect families from these scams."

"As online crime rockets, my partners at Aura are effectively protecting customers by utilizing the same advanced technologies that bad guys use and designing systems that block their best efforts to target us, our devices and our families," said Robert Downey Jr., Aura investor and member of the Board of Directors. "Very difficult to build, but easy to use."

Aura call and text protection works in three ways:

• Block Known Phone Scams & Spam Callers - Aura will employ several layers of screening to keep users safe from unwanted calls and costly phone scams. For incoming calls, Aura automatically checks for known spam callers and immediately blocks them.
• Screen Calls with Our AI-Powered Call Assistant - Aura's proprietary AI Call Assistant will pick up calls from unknown numbers on a users' behalf and screen them. Users can configure the intent-based filtering to meet their own call preferences for what legitimate calls the AI Call Assistant will forward to them, so they won't miss appointments, deliveries, and emergencies.
• Keep Your Texts Safe from Malware & Phishing - Aura's SMS protection will filter unwanted texts and place them into a junk folder. If there's a suspicious link in the text, Aura will check if it's a malware or phishing site.*

Now available for iOS devices, with support for Android devices to follow quickly, Aura call and text protection is now included in all Aura Family plans, as part of Aura's all-in-one online safety platform that protects families from financial fraud, identity theft and other online threats.

Subscribers to Aura's Individual and Couple plans can add call protection to their service by signing into their Aura account or by calling Aura at 1-844-939-3681 for assistance. Learn more and try Aura's intelligent safety platform by visiting https://www.aura.com/spam-call-message-protection.

*SMS Protection will only be available for iOS devices.

About Aura
Aura, the leader in intelligent safety, provides all-in-one digital protection for consumers. We understand that the online safety needs of each individual are unique and require a personalized solution. By bringing together security, privacy and parental controls on an intelligent platform, Aura makes adaptive and proactive digital safety accessible to everyone. Visit www.aura.com.

SOURCE Aura