Android's AI is scanning your phone for scam activity now in two ways

Cybercriminals have increasingly been using AI to scam their victims, often through text messages and phone calls. Now, Google is using a similar tactic to protect you from those scammers.

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On Tuesday, Google announced two AI-powered scam detection features for calls and text messages on Android devices. The goal is to thwart more complex and sophisticated attacks, especially those that may seem harmless at first but then devolve into riskier territory.

1. Scam detection for Messages

First up is scam detection for messages. Enhancing the existing spam protection in Google’s Messages app, the new scam detection is designed to look for a greater variety of threats. With this option enabled in Google Messages, the built-in AI uses real-time detection to determine if and when a text conversation seems suspicious.

Let’s say you receive a text from a stranger that starts off innocently enough. But after a few back-and-forth messages, the conversation veers into an unexpected area. Once it detects a suspicious text, the on-device AI steps in to warn you that this is likely a scam. You’ll then be given the option to dismiss the warning or report and block the sender.

By checking the ongoing conversation for any red flags, Google’s detection should prove more effective than other security tools that can only block or allow an initial text. The new detection works with SMS, MMS, and RCS messages, so you’re covered no matter which format is used.

Turned on by default in Messages

Scam detection for Google Messages is turned on by default, though you can turn it off at any time if you want to opt out. It also affects conversations only with people not in your contact list.

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Further, Google promises that your conversations will remain private. If you report a suspicious exchange, only the sender details and recent texts with that person are shared with Google and your mobile carrier. The new option is now rolling out in English across the US, UK, and Canada and will soon head to other countries.

2. Scam detection for phone calls

Next up is scam detection for phone calls. Rolled out last November as a public beta for some Pixel 9 phone users, this option also uses AI to analyze conversations in real time and warn you of a potential scam. However, this will continue to be a limited beta, though it’s expanding in English to all Pixel 9 users in the US

During the initial beta period, Google analyzed scam detection on the Pixel 9 and Pixel 6. The Pixel 9 devices used the more advanced Gemini Nano AI, while the Pixel 6 phones used a smaller on-device machine learning model. In the end, the Pixel 9 devices with Nano outperformed the Pixel 6.

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And how does this work? Let’s say someone calls you asking for payment via a gift card to complete a purchase. With the built-in AI on the alert, the detection feature will warn you through audio, haptic, and on-screen notifications of a potential scam.

Turned off by default

With scam detection for phone calls, Google again promises to protect your privacy. The feature won’t kick in if you’re speaking with a contact. The audio from the call is processed on the device but is not recorded, stored, or sent to Google or third parties. This option is turned off by default, so you’ll have to manually enable it. Even then, you can turn it off at any time, even during a phone call.

I give Google kudos for trying to one-up the scammers through the use of AI. I’d certainly like to see the scam detection for phone calls expand to more Android devices beyond the Pixel 9. But I guess Google has to start somewhere, especially since the device must support the latest advanced AI models.