Abstract: A method and system for scrambling amplitude-modulated or frequency-modulated signals at a transmitter and descrambling the scrambled signals at a receiver. The scrambling is effected at the transmitter by shifting the phase of only the carrier component of the modulated signal by from 80 to 100 carrier degrees, preferably exactly 90 carrier degrees, the phase shift either advancing or retarding the carrier component out of its proper phase relationship with the side band components of the modulated signal in the transmitted version of the modulated signal. The descrambling of the transmitted version of the modulated signal is effected in a receiver, prior to demodulation therein, by restoring the carrier component back into its proper phase relationship with te side band components of the modulated signal.