Microsoft is working on an update for the Teams collaboration platform that aims to minimize unwanted distractions by protecting users from pranksters and scammers. According to a new entry in the company's product roadmap, Microsoft Teams users will soon receive an alert when they call a suspicious number. “The spam notification feature automatically evaluates incoming calls and identifies potential spam calls as 'probable spam' in the call toast,” Microsoft explained. “Users will have the option to answer or reject the call, and all 'probable spam' calls (whether answered or rejected) will also be reflected in the call history. " The new feature is still in development, but is expected to roll out to all users by the end of the month.
Microsoft Teams phone calls
While many companies use Microsoft Teams exclusively for internal collaboration, many others also take advantage of the ability to make and receive phone calls through the platform. Microsoft Teams Phone and other similar VoIP services have experienced a significant surge in popularity during the pandemic, as companies were forced to find a way to support remote employees who no longer had access to traditional business phone systems. However, this trend has also created a new avenue for scammers and spam callers, whether their goal is to phishing valuable personal data, promoting a product or service, or whatever. Like similar protections being put in place by smartphone vendors, Microsoft's new alert system is expected to prevent Teams users from falling for call-based scams, as well as guard against spam and email scams. annoying calls. Presumably, the feature will also make it easier for companies to create a blacklist that prevents calls from suspicious numbers from reaching employees in the first place.