Google is paving the way in scam detection tools, and has announced new ways to prevent scammers from getting through to you for Android phones.
Revealed at the Google I/O 2024 conference, the company will leverage AI for these tools, with AI continuously scanning conversation patterns that have been associated with scams.
Once a scam has been detected, the user will receive a real-time alert on their phone.
While this tool is still in its testing stages, Google gave the example of a “bank representative” asking for personal information, PINs, and passwords.
These are not common bank requests, meaning AI would flag them and send out an alert, and everything happens on-device, so it stays private. Individuals will be required to opt-in to use the tool.
The feature won’t arrive on Android 15 devices straightaway, with Google explaining more details will be revealed later in the year.
Android 15 saw a big move by Google, with the introduction of its Gemini chatbot on devices instead of via the cloud.
Onboard AI is also expected to allow more features, including contextual awareness while using apps.
On the subject of protection against scammers, Google has also partnered with Apple to bring a new industry standard to iOS and Android devices, ‘Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers.’
This feature will send an alert to users who are being tracked or stalked by an unknown Bluetooth tracker.
In the event someone is being tracked for a period of time, they will get an alert on their phone saying, “[Item] Found Moving With You.”
This message will appear no matter which platform the tracker has been paired with. It’s currently unclear how these alerts will appear, whether it be via text message, email, or pop-up notifications.
