Google is rolling out fake call detection to protect against scams impersonating deep AI

Google announced Tuesday that its Android operating system is launching a fake call detection feature to protect against scams impersonating deep artificial intelligence. This feature is rolling out globally to the Phone by Google app on Android 12+ devices this month, starting with Pixel devices.

As people increasingly refuse to answer calls from unknown numbers, scammers are changing their tactics by spoofing trusted phone numbers and using AI deepfake technology to appear to be authority figures, family members or employers.

For example, someone might receive a phone call in which the caller ID says “Mom,” and the voice might sound just like her, but the caller is actually a scammer using AI tools to impersonate her and ask for money for a fake emergency.

The new feature is turned on by default and works automatically behind the scenes.

Google explains that the new feature works sort of like a “digital handshake between devices.” When a contact calls you, and both of you are using the Phone by Google app, their phone sends a silent confirmation signal to your device to verify that the call is legitimate and is indeed coming from their phone.

“If a fraudster tries to impersonate your trusted contact, this initial confirmation signal will be missing,” Google explained in a message. Blog post. “Your device will notice this right away and will ping your contact’s physical device to double check. If their real device says, ‘I’m not making a call right now,’ you’ll receive a warning on your screen advising you to hang up immediately.”

The tech giant notes that it has built this feature on top of Rich Communications Services (RCS), allowing other apps and companies to adopt this technology.

The fake call detection feature was announced alongside other Android updates, including a new Google Photos feature that lets users mix, match and try on outfits virtually. The new Wardrobe feature catalogs the clothes you’re wearing in your photo library by turning them into snapshots you can browse on your phone. The feature will roll out next week to eligible users in the US, India, and Brazil with Android 10+.

Additionally, Google Play Books is getting a new “Catch me up” feature that allows users to jump back into the story with a summary. Users can also select a clip to ask questions. These features are rolling out today to select English titles.

Google also makes it possible to search for entire outfits through its “Circle to Search” feature. Now the feature will be able to find every item in the outfit at once, eliminating the need to search piece by piece. This update is now available on all Android 14+ devices with Circle to Search.