Latest news with #scamprotection
Phone Arena
13-05-2025
- Phone Arena
Android rolls out several in-call protections to stop scammers in their tracks
Android is rolling out a new set of protections aimed at stopping phone scams before they can do real damage. These new tools are built right into the phone call experience and are designed to stop scammers from tricking people into lowering their device's defenses. The main update is a smarter in-call protection system. It activates when you're on the phone with someone who isn't saved in your contacts. If that caller tries to convince you to do something risky—like turning off Google Play Protect, sideloading an unknown app, or giving special permissions to an app—Android will step in and block or warn you before you make a mistake. If you're screen sharing during a call, the system will also remind you to stop sharing when the call ends. In-call scam protections. | Image credit — Google To go even further, Android is testing a new safety feature for banking apps. In the UK, users of Monzo, NatWest, and Revolut will get warnings if they open a banking app while screen sharing during a call with an unknown number. You'll get the option to end the call or stop sharing your screen with just one tap. This is aimed at stopping scams where fraudsters pose as banks or government agencies to get users to send money. Scam protection in banking apps in the UK. | Image credit — Google Google Messages is also getting better at spotting scams. Its AI-powered detection tool can now recognize more types of fraud, like fake toll charges, crypto scams, and tech support cons. All of this scanning happens on your phone, so your messages stay private. Scam Detection in Google Messages. | Image credit — Google Another feature called Key Verifier is coming soon. It lets you check that the person you're messaging is really who they say they are, using a simple identity check through the Google Contacts app. This can help spot issues like SIM swap attacks, where someone takes control of a friend's phone number. Key Verifier feature. | Images credit — Google These changes come as scams are getting harder to spot. By building security tools directly into Android, Google is trying to make it easier to stay safe without relying on extra apps or settings. It's a smart move, especially since real-time warnings during a call could stop someone from falling into a trap at the moment when it matters most.
Phone Arena
09-05-2025
- Phone Arena
Google just gave Chrome and Android a secret weapon against online scams
If you've ever had one of those scary pop-up windows claiming your phone or computer has a virus, you're definitely not alone. Fake virus alerts and tech support scams are still everywhere – and now Google is stepping things up to fight them using AI that runs directly on your device. The company says it is using Gemini Nano, a lightweight version of its Gemini AI model, to help spot scammy websites and pop-ups in real-time. This protection is rolling out to users with Enhanced Protection in Chrome on desktop and the best part is that it doesn't rely on cloud processing – it happens on your machine. – Google, May 2025 But Google isn't stopping with desktop. It also plans to roll out this AI-powered scam protection to Android devices – starting with smarter alerts in Chrome. If a suspicious website sends a sketchy push notification, Google will flag it, give you the option to unsubscribe or let you view it anyway if you think it is safe. Google is launching new AI-powered warnings for Chrome on Android. | Image credit – Google These notifications are end-to-end encrypted and the analysis is done completely on your device. Google doesn't get to see the content. Since notifications can be sensitive, Google trained its model using synthetic data generated by Gemini, rather than scraping real are now using AI to crank out tons of fake, realistic-looking content, making it way easier for them to trick people and steal personal info or money. The barrier to entry for online scams has basically disappeared – and that's a serious problem. To push back, Google also recently rolled out AI-powered scam detection directly on Android phones. It is built right into Google Messages and the Phone by Google app, and it is designed to catch these more advanced scams before they get to you. But, let's be real – scammers aren't going to stop anytime soon. They are constantly switching up their tactics. But at least Google is making it harder for them to succeed and that is always a win.
