Is Cloaked dot com worth paying for to reduce spam calls?

[GON]

My phone gets dozens and dozens of spam calls per week. Google catches some of the spam calls, but not enough. I can trace many of the calls to a site where I was trying to contract trucks to move vehicles about 2018. Many of the calls center on the auto transportation business. Working OCONUS, spam calls are a big issue, as my phone rings in the middle of the night, and some of the calls I need to take for work.

Came across an advertisement for cloaked dot com. Sounds great, they claim they can stop the spam. Google reviews do not provide information to clearly support cloaked's claims.

I did purchase a second phone for family to call in a emergency, simply because of the quantity of spam calls.

Any thoughts on cloaked? Reportedly the charge for cloaked is $10 USD per month.

 

[GON]

Here is a not favorable review of cloaked:

A review of Cloaked (don't bother yet)​

I looked at Cloaked for personal use as privacy.com seems to attempt to connect my business account with a personal one I created, and they 'pause' the personal one.

• First Cloaked offered
• Virtual identities
• anonymous email addresses
• anonymous phone number
• Virtual cards
• ID data discovery and supposed deletion from data brokers

First, I didn't see a trial, so I paid the $95 for the year, which was with a 20% discount. As soon as I logged in and clicked the option to create an anonymous ID, I was told I had to 'subscribe to the advanced version'! I was then put in a trial mode, with the price not disclosed.

I then clicked virtual cards, and the page stated, "not ready for prime time, sign up for the waiting list" yet when I used AI, asking for an alternative for privacy.com it said these things were working.

I then went to cancel and get a refund, but THAT takes talking to a human in chat.

So first no trial (that I found without looking that hard) and then baited into a more expensive addition, even though it's already $99 a year to use virtual cards, an anonymous phone, and email. Thirty minutes later, I had to ask their AI chatbot for a refund. It then informed me I had to speak with a human in chat. Nobody was available at 550AM PDT.

Just don't. lol.

 

[scrllock]

this won't do anything for the number of spam calls you receive.

 

[dishdude]

That review sure isn't good. You have a Pixel, right? Have you turned on call screening with maximum protection? I don't get any spam calls anymore using it.

 

[Hall]

If your number is out there on lists, nothing stops this. The most 'we' can hope for is our carrier block as many as possible, then our phone (iPhone has a setting for filtering unknown callers) catches those that get through.

 

[Nukeman7]

I have a Pixel 7 Pro and installed the free version of the YouMail app. It defaults to the Medium security filter which has reduced Spam (calls and text) messages by 85%. I think it costs $71/year for the full-feature premium version which allows the choice of a High Security filter. I have no complaints or issues after using the free version since 2023. It also has the Visual Voicemail feature which works flawlessly.

 

[GON]

That review sure isn't good. You have a Pixel, right? Have you turned on call screening with maximum protection? I don't get any spam calls anymore using it.

Yes, the review told a lot. A company of this nature that requires a human to cancel the subscription is telling enough. Wouldn't be surprised in their terms or service if they have the right/ entitlement to sell subscribers information, both during and post subscription.

Yes I have Pixel, have protection turned on, will have to check if "maximum". I do receive numerous calls per week from unknown numbers that are legitimate, so adds to the challenges of separating spam from a intended call.

 

[JohnnyG]

Google's business is trying to get into your business. For that reason alone, I will avoid a Pixel phone. Yes, I know, they can get as much info as they want in other ways, but to have it integrated at the hardware level is a tough pill to swallow.
That said, Verizon and Samsung (together) seem to do a pretty good job of blocking spam calls. NOW, political TEXTS, are whole other matter.

 

[Hall]

I do receive numerous calls per week from unknown numbers that are legitimate, so adds to the challenges of separating spam from a intended call.

That's the biggest issue you're going to have. I don't know how Pixel's filtering works but with iPhones, it simply goes straight to voicemail. Issue with that is no one under 50 years old leaves voicemails, which means you're stuck with reviewing your missed call log. On the slim chance that some will listen to the VM greeting, you could add something like "If your call went straight to VM, I apologize but it's due to call filtering and excessive spam calls I receive....".