As digital fraud grows more persuasive and harder to spot, Google is expanding a set of quiet but consequential tools that aim to interrupt scams at the very moment users are most vulnerable mid-conversation, mid-click, mid-panic.
When the Scam Happens in Real Time
For years, technology companies have tried to stop online fraud at the edges: filtering spam emails, blocking suspicious links, or flagging known malicious numbers. But the most damaging scams increasingly unfold in real time during phone calls, text exchanges, or screen-sharing sessions where victims are pressured to act quickly.
Google’s latest updates reflect a shift toward intervening during those moments. Earlier this month, the company expanded its in-call scam detection feature to users in the United States, targeting a common tactic in bank impersonation schemes. If a user is on a call with an unknown number and attempts to open a participating financial app, Android can now issue an on-screen warning. The alert reminds users not to share sensitive information and offers a one-tap option to stop screen sharing and end the call.
The design is deliberate: short, interruptive, and timed to break the sense of urgency scammers rely on. Rather than identifying the caller outright as fraudulent, the system nudges users to pause a subtle but important distinction in a landscape where false positives can erode trust.
Turning the Screen Into a Safety Net
Google is also extending fraud detection beyond calls, using visual context to help users assess risk. Through its “Circle to Search” feature and Google Lens, Android users can now scan suspicious messages, emails, or social media posts for signs of scams.
The process is simple. Users can long-press the home button or navigation bar and circle text on their screen, or take a screenshot and open it in Lens. Google’s systems then analyze the content for known scam patterns and, when confidence is high, surface guidance on what to do next or what not to do.
The feature works across messaging apps and social platforms, acknowledging a reality that fraud no longer arrives through a single channel. Scammers move fluidly between SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, and phone calls, adapting faster than traditional filters can.
Google says these responses appear only when its systems have “high confidence in the quality of the response,” a phrasing that underscores the company’s caution in an area where overreach could backfire.
The Arms Race Behind the Alerts
These tools are part of a broader suite of Android security features built around real-time, on-device analysis. Pixel phones, in particular, now use artificial intelligence to detect suspicious conversational patterns in Google Messages and Phone by Google, flagging behavior commonly associated with fraud.
In parallel, Android’s in-call protections can temporarily block risky actions such as sideloading new apps or changing accessibility permissions when a user is speaking with someone not saved in their contacts. Those steps are frequently exploited in tech-support and financial scams, where victims are guided through disabling safeguards themselves.
A Subtle Shift in Responsibility
While Google frames these updates as user protections, they also signal a recalibration of responsibility. Instead of promising to eliminate scams entirely an increasingly unrealistic goal the company is positioning itself as an intervenor, stepping in at critical moments without fully taking control.
That balance matters. Overly aggressive blocking can alienate users or disrupt legitimate interactions, while passive warnings risk being ignored. Google’s approach leans on timing and context, betting that well-placed friction can prevent irreversible mistakes.
