Google has launched two new AI-powered tools to detect conversational scams on Android devices.
These new features, Scam Detection for messages and calls, respectively, were introduced in a Google blog post published on March 4.
Google said they build on traditional spam protection designed to strengthen defenses against job and delivery scams, which Google will still roll out to users.
However, Google claimed that these new tools will go further, with the ability to detect suspicious patterns and deliver real-time warnings throughout a conversation, all while prioritizing user privacy.
These tools aim to prevent users from getting scammed through more conversational text scams that begin innocently but gradually manipulate victims into sharing sensitive data, handing over funds or switching to other messaging apps.
The authors of the post, Lyubov Farafonova, Product Manager at Google, and Alberto Pastor Nieto, Senior Product Manager at Google, said they partnered with financial institutions worldwide to better understand the latest advanced and most common scams their customers are facing.
Android Scam Detection for Google Messages
The first feature, Scam Detection in Google Messages, helps identify potential scams in real time, even after initial messages are received.
When suspicious patterns are detected in SMS, MMS and RCS messages from non-contacts, users receive a warning with the option to dismiss or report and block the sender.
Scam Detection is on by default, with all message processing remaining on-device to protect user privacy. Users can choose to report conversations to help reduce spam, with only sender details and recent messages being shared with Google and carriers.
The tool is available in English in the US, UK and Canada, and will expand to more countries soon.
Android Scam Detection for Calls
The second feature, Scam Detection for calls, processes call audio on-device to protect user privacy, with no recording, storage or sharing of conversation audio or transcription.
This feature is off by default, only applies to potential scam calls from non-contacts and notifies participants with a beep when enabled.
According to Google’s own survey, Scam Detection alerts have already helped people be more cautious and avoid falling victim to conversational scams.
Scam Detection for calls was released to US-based English-speaking Phone by Google public beta users on Pixel phones in late 2024.
Google Cloud Releases AI Protection
On March 5, Google Cloud launched AI Protection, a new platform-agnostic solution designed to safeguard AI workloads and data across clouds and models.Â
This new solution is meant to enable security teams to discover AI inventory, secure AI assets, and manage AI threats, such as prompt injection, jailbreak, data loss, malicious URLs and offensive content.
AI Protection is integrated with Google Security Command Center (SCC).
Additionally, Google said Mandiant Consultants, part of Google Cloud, will offer its services to help organizations assess and implement robust security measures for AI systems and red teaming for AI.