Google Launches New AI Security Features on Android to Block Mobile Scams

Google has announced enhanced artificial intelligence protections designed to combat the rising tide of mobile scams affecting billions of users worldwide, with claims that fraudsters stole over $400 billion globally in the past year using AI-powered schemes.

Android’s Advanced Defense Against Mobile Fraud now blocks more than 10 billion suspected malicious calls and messages every month through AI-driven protections, while real-time checks blocked over 100 million suspicious numbers attempting to abuse the RCS service in just one month.

The security features operate across multiple layers, with Google Messages automatically filtering known spam by sender reputation and content, Scam Detection using on-device AI to identify fraud patterns such as “pig butchering” scams, and Phone by Google screening calls before they ring. Recent research conducted by Google and YouGov surveyed 5,000 smartphone users across the United States, India and Brazil, revealing notable differences in scam protection and user experience.

Android users reported being 58% more likely than iOS users to receive zero scam texts within a week, and Pixel users were 96% more likely to avoid scam messages than iPhone users. Google emphasises that protections continue to evolve, supported by Google Play Protect and enhanced Safe Browsing in Chrome.