Glossary of Phone Scam Protection Terms

This glossary defines every term you're likely to encounter when evaluating phone scam protection, from technical telephony terms (STIR/SHAKEN, CallKit, CallScreeningService) to scam-specific vocabulary (neighbor spoofing, vishing, pig butchering, voice cloning) to product categories (AI call screening, blocklist, caller ID labeling). All definitions are written in plain English, with a "see also" link where relevant.

A

AI Call Screening

A method of intercepting incoming phone calls and using a conversational AI to evaluate the caller's intent before the phone rings. Unlike blocklist matching, AI call screening doesn't depend on knowing the caller's phone number in advance. It asks the caller to identify themselves and decides based on what they say. Catches live human scammers, spoofed caller IDs, and new scam numbers that blocklists miss. The category Scammer Guardian operates in. See also: Blocklist, Caller ID Labeling, Conversational AI.

AI Voice Cloning

The use of AI to replicate a specific person's voice from a small audio sample (as little as 3 seconds in 2026). Used by scammers to impersonate family members in grandparent scams ("Grandma, it's me, I'm in jail") and spouse scams. The defense is a family code word: a cloned voice cannot answer a question only the real person knows. See also: Grandparent Scam, Family Code Word.

B

Blocklist

A database of phone numbers known to be associated with scams or unwanted calls. When a call comes in, the system checks the calling number against the database. If matched, the call is blocked or labeled. Used by Nomorobo, RoboKiller, Truecaller, and most carrier-level spam protection. Effective for known robocallers; ineffective against new scam numbers, live human scammers, and spoofed caller IDs. See also: AI Call Screening, Spoofing.

C

CallKit

Apple's official framework for handling phone calls on iOS. Allows third-party apps to integrate with the native phone UI, so incoming calls appear on the iPhone exactly like a regular call. Scammer Guardian uses CallKit (combined with PushKit) to ring through verified-safe calls on iPhone. See also: PushKit, CallScreeningService.

CallScreeningService

Android's native API that allows a designated app to intercept incoming calls before the phone rings, evaluate them, and decide whether to ring through. The mechanism Scammer Guardian uses on Android. iPhone has no equivalent, because Apple does not allow third-party apps to intercept calls directly, which is why Scammer Guardian's iPhone setup uses call forwarding instead. See also: CallKit.

Caller ID Labeling

The practice of attaching a label like "Scam Likely," "Spam Risk," or a known business name to the caller ID display when a call comes in. Used by carrier-level spam protection (T-Mobile Scam Shield, Verizon Call Filter, AT&T ActiveArmor) and by Hiya. The phone still rings; the recipient still has to decide whether to answer. Useful as a first line of defense but does not prevent scams that get answered anyway. See also: AI Call Screening, Caller ID Spoofing.

CNAM (Calling Name Delivery)

The technical name for the caller ID name lookup that displays who is calling, in addition to the calling number. CNAM data is sourced from telephone carrier databases and is often inaccurate or out of date. Scammers can spoof CNAM to make a call appear to come from "IRS," "Local Hospital," or other trusted-sounding names. See also: Spoofing, STIR/SHAKEN.

Conversational AI

An AI system designed to hold a back-and-forth dialogue with a human (or, in the case of call screening, with whoever is on the line). In phone scam protection, conversational AI is the technology that allows a screener to ask "who's calling?" and evaluate the response. As of 2026, the leading models are GPT-4o-class (used by Scammer Guardian) and similar systems. See also: AI Call Screening, Voice Cloning.

D

Default Phone App

On Android, the app designated as the device's primary handler for phone calls and call screening. Only one app at a time can hold this role. Scammer Guardian on Android requires being set as the default phone app (or default call screener) to intercept calls. The user grants this once during setup, with one permission prompt. See also: CallScreeningService.

Do Not Call Registry

The U.S. National Do Not Call Registry (donotcall.gov), maintained by the FTC. Registering a phone number theoretically prevents legitimate telemarketers from calling. Has no effect on illegal scammers, who don't follow the law. Useful as a way to identify suspicious calls (calls that come anyway are likely illegitimate), but not a meaningful scam defense in itself. See also: Robocall, Telemarketer.

E

Elder Financial Exploitation

The legal and policy term for financial fraud, scams, or abuse targeting seniors. Reported to Adult Protective Services (APS) in most states. The category includes phone scams but also in-person fraud, caregiver theft, and family financial abuse. The FBI estimates $4.9 billion in losses to phone-based elder fraud alone in 2024. See also: Grandparent Scam, Recovery Scam.

F

Family Code Word

A pre-agreed word or phrase known only to family members, used to verify identity in emergency calls. The single most effective defense against the grandparent scam and AI voice clone attacks. The code should not appear on social media (no pet names, no kids' names) and should be refreshed if compromised. Cost: zero. Effort: a single conversation.

G

Grandparent Scam

A scam in which the caller claims to be a grandchild (or other family member) in distress, typically in jail, in a car accident, or kidnapped, and demands immediate payment. Often combined with a request for secrecy ("don't tell mom and dad"). Increasingly uses AI voice cloning to make the "grandchild" sound real. Average loss in 2024: $2,700 per victim, with cases up to $50,000+. See also: AI Voice Cloning, Family Code Word.

Guardian (in Scammer Guardian)

The person, typically an adult child of a senior, who manages the Scammer Guardian account and receives alerts when scams are blocked. The guardian sees the dashboard, gets email and in-app alerts, and manages the whitelist. The protected person (the senior) does not need to interact with the app after setup. See also: Whitelist.

H

Hiya

A company that provides caller ID and spam labeling technology. Powers carrier-level spam protection (T-Mobile Scam Shield, Samsung Smart Call) and offers a consumer-facing app. Operates by labeling suspicious calls; the phone still rings. Different category from AI call screening, which intercepts calls before they ring. See also: Caller ID Labeling.

I

IRS Scam (IRS Impersonation)

A government-impersonation scam in which the caller claims to be from the Internal Revenue Service, threatens arrest or property seizure for "back taxes," and demands immediate payment via gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. The real IRS does not call about back taxes. Real IRS contact is via mail. Any IRS phone call you didn't initiate is a scam. See also: Government Impersonation Scam.

L

Live Human Scammer

A scammer who calls in person rather than via a recorded robocall. Live human scammers can adapt to the conversation, apply social engineering, and run sophisticated long-form scams (grandparent, romance, tech support, IRS). Cannot be blocked by traditional blocklists because they typically use fresh phone numbers. The category that AI call screening exists to address. See also: AI Call Screening, Robocall.

N

Neighbor Spoofing

A specific type of caller ID spoofing where the scammer makes the call appear to come from a number with the same area code and prefix as the recipient, making the call look like a local neighbor. Designed to increase pickup rates. See also: Spoofing, STIR/SHAKEN.

Nomorobo

A spam call blocker that operates by maintaining a database (~5 million numbers) of known robocallers. Free for landlines; paid for mobile (~$1.99–$4.17/month depending on tier). Effective for known robocalls; ineffective for live human scammers and new numbers. See Scammer Guardian vs Nomorobo.

P

Pig Butchering Scam

A long-form investment scam (originally named for the Mandarin "shā zhū pán", meaning "killing the pig"). The scammer builds emotional trust over weeks or months, then introduces a "high-return" investment opportunity (almost always cryptocurrency). The victim invests increasing amounts as fake gains appear. Eventually the scammer disappears with all funds. Among the highest-loss scam categories: average losses run into six figures. See also: Romance Scam.

Push Notification (VoIP Push)

A specific type of push notification on iOS, delivered via Apple's PushKit framework, that can wake an app to handle an incoming call. Used by Scammer Guardian on iPhone to ring through verified-safe calls: the call is sent via internet push from our screening servers to the app, which then triggers the iPhone to ring via CallKit. See also: PushKit.

PushKit

Apple's framework for receiving VoIP push notifications on iOS. Required for any app that needs to handle incoming calls, including Scammer Guardian. Allows the app to wake up and present a call even when the app is not actively running. See also: Push Notification, CallKit.

R

Recovery Scam

A second scam targeting people who have already been scammed. The caller claims to be from "Scam Recovery Services," the FBI, the FTC, or a "fraud lawyer," and offers to recover the lost funds for an upfront fee. The fee is paid; nothing is recovered. No legitimate agency charges upfront fees to recover scam losses. See also: Recovery Playbook.

RoboKiller

A spam call blocker that combines blocklist matching with "answer bots": pre-recorded audio that pranks scammers by wasting their time. Built for general consumers annoyed by spam, not specifically for senior protection. ~$4.99/month with reported recent price increases to $89.99/year for some users. See Scammer Guardian vs RoboKiller.

Robocall

An automated phone call that plays a pre-recorded message. Some robocalls are legitimate (appointment reminders, school closures, political campaigns, two-factor authentication). Many are spam or scams. Blockable by traditional spam blockers because robocallers tend to reuse phone numbers. Distinct from a live human scammer. See also: Blocklist.

Romance Scam

A long-form scam in which the scammer builds an emotional or romantic relationship with the victim over weeks or months, then asks for money in connection with an "emergency" or "investment." Adults 60+ are the highest-loss demographic. Total 2024 losses: $1.14 billion. The scammer never video-calls, never visits, and always has an excuse. See also: Pig Butchering Scam.

S

SIM Swap

A scam in which the attacker convinces a wireless carrier to transfer the victim's phone number to a SIM card the attacker controls. Once the swap happens, the attacker receives the victim's calls and SMS, including two-factor authentication codes, and can take over bank accounts, email, and crypto wallets. Rarely targets seniors directly but does target their families. Defense: enable account PINs with the carrier and avoid SMS-based two-factor where possible.

Spoofing (Caller ID Spoofing)

The practice of falsifying the calling number that displays on the recipient's caller ID. A scammer can make a call appear to come from any number, like the IRS, a hospital, the recipient's own bank, or a neighbor's number. STIR/SHAKEN is the FCC framework intended to prevent this, but international and small-carrier loopholes mean spoofing still works in practice. See also: STIR/SHAKEN, Neighbor Spoofing.

STIR/SHAKEN

The FCC-mandated caller ID authentication framework, fully required since June 2021. Stands for "Secure Telephone Identity Revisited" / "Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs." Designed to prevent caller ID spoofing by cryptographically verifying that calls actually come from the number they claim to come from. In practice, has reduced but not eliminated spoofing, because international callers and small carriers create loopholes. See also: Spoofing.

Sucker List

A database of phone numbers known to belong to people who have responded to scams or robocalls. Traded between scammer operations. Once your phone number is on a sucker list, scam call volume can increase 10× and the scams are often more sophisticated. The entire reason scammed seniors face dramatically higher follow-up scam attempts.

T

Tech Support Scam

A scam in which the caller claims to be from Microsoft, Apple, or another tech company, and reports a (fake) computer infection. The scammer either requests remote access to the computer (and installs malware or steals banking credentials) or convinces the victim to wire money to "secure" their accounts. The single largest category of elder fraud loss in 2024: $982 million. Microsoft and Apple do not make unsolicited calls. See also: Government Impersonation Scam.

Telemarketer

A person making unsolicited sales or fundraising calls. Legitimate telemarketers are required to follow rules (Do Not Call Registry, time-of-day restrictions, identification requirements). Aggressive or deceptive telemarketers often violate these rules and shade into scam territory. Distinct from robocallers (which are automated) and scammers (which are explicitly trying to defraud).

V

Vishing

Voice phishing. The use of phone calls (rather than email or text) to extract sensitive information from victims like passwords, Social Security numbers, and account details. The category that includes the IRS scam, the bank impersonation scam, and most government impersonation. The phone-based equivalent of email phishing. See also: Government Impersonation Scam.

Voice Clone

See AI Voice Cloning.

W

Whitelist

A list of phone numbers that are pre-approved to ring through without screening. In Scammer Guardian, whitelisted contacts (typically the protected person's full address book, plus their doctor's office, pharmacy, and other regular callers) bypass the AI screener entirely. The opposite of a blocklist. Reduces false positives and ensures known callers always reach the protected person.

Need a definition we don't have?

Email support@scammerguardian.com and we'll add it.

Related resources

• The Complete Guide to Phone Scams Targeting Seniors in 2026
• What to Do If Your Elderly Parent Has Been Scammed
• How Scammer Guardian Works
• 2026 Phone Scam Statistics Hub

Last updated: April 22, 2026.