Google is rolling out a new feature to Android devices that detects impersonation scams involving spoofed calls. The update targets the rising threat of AI-generated deepfake voices in financial fraud. It begins deploying this month on phones running Android 12 and higher.
The feature works by sending an end-to-end encrypted confirmation signal through the Phone by Google app when a call appears to come from a contact. If the signal is missing, the system uses Google Messages to check with the contact's device over RCS. Users receive an alert if the call cannot be verified as legitimate. Both the caller and recipient must have the Google Phone, Contacts, and Messages apps installed for the check to function. The protection applies globally and does not require Pixel devices, though it excludes users of other dialer apps like those from Samsung or OnePlus. Google cited Federal Trade Commission data showing nearly $3 billion in losses from impersonation scams in 2024. The company noted that advances in AI voice cloning have made such schemes harder to spot without technical safeguards. The same update expands AirDrop compatibility in Quick Share to additional devices including the Galaxy S24 series and OnePlus 15. It also broadens Circle to Search's Find the Look tool to all Android 14 devices.
