Editor's take: Large language models and other AI technologies have increased the number of tools scammers can use to impersonate people over the phone. Google is now trying to fight this "phone slop" with a clever security feature that has nothing to do with AI.
Google recently introduced a new feature designed to improve Android safety against scammers. The "industry-first" Fake Call Detection feature is compatible with most Android phones and works in the background to identify potential fake calls from criminals attempting to impersonate friends or close relatives.
Google described Fake Call Detection as a significant milestone in mobile security, noting that it will improve safety for people using its own products and apps. The feature can intercept suspected fake calls from people trying to impersonate contacts, but only when both parties are using the company's official Phone app.
Fake Call Detection works behind the scenes and is built on top of the Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard. When a user receives a call from a contact, the Phone app sends an "invisible" RCS signal to the contact's Phone app. The app then quickly confirms whether the call is genuinely coming from that contact.
If the RCS link cannot verify the caller's identity, Android will send a second "ping" to the contact's device to confirm whether it is actually placing a call. If this second check also fails, the Phone app will display a warning about a potential fake call. The user is then advised to end the call immediately, helping to prevent scams involving criminals impersonating a contact's voice or mobile identity.
Google highlights that impersonation fraud is now causing more than $2.95 billion in annual financial losses, contributing to roughly $400 billion in fraud-related losses globally. In the US alone, impersonation scams are among the most commonly reported fraud types to the FTC.
Relying on a contact's mobile ID is no longer enough to prevent scam attempts. Cybercriminals can spoof contacts' phone numbers by routing calls through internet-based software, Google said. In addition, widely available AI tools can generate highly realistic deepfake audio that is difficult to distinguish from real human voices.
Google will roll out its anti – deepfake Fake Call Detection feature this month, starting with Pixel devices using the company's official Phone app. In theory, all smartphones running Android 12 or later – and the corresponding Phone app – should eventually receive the feature. Google has also opted to use the open RCS standard to allow other apps and developers to adopt similar capabilities.
Android can now detect when scammers are faking calls from your contacts
