Google Launching Android AI Voice Scam Alerts To Protect Users

Google is rolling out an industry-first protection feature to alert Android users when a caller is using artificial intelligence voice-cloning tools as part of a scam attack.

Credit: GOOGLE

The fake call detection feature will be enabled by default and can detect scam calls as long as both the user and the impersonated contact are using Phone by Google.

The global rollout of the feature starts this month, and users of Android 12 on Pixel devices will be first in line to receive the update.

Credit: GOOGLE

Google recently fixed 151 Chrome browser vulnerabilities and dropped a patch for an actively exploited zero-day in the June Android security bulletin.

The new feature will help protect users against common artificial intelligence voice scams, such as a family member supposedly calling for help.

Scammers use artificial intelligence tools to impersonate contacts, matching their exact intonation, to demand money for a fake emergency.

Google previously launched verified financial calls to warn when a scammer is impersonating a bank, and has now turned its attention to personal artificial intelligence scam callers.

The fake call detection feature acts as a digital handshake between devices when both the caller and recipient use Phone by Google.

When a contact calls, their phone sends a real-time end-to-end encrypted Rich Communication Services silent confirmation to verify the legitimacy of the communication.

This signal confirms the call is coming from the actual device of the contact rather than someone spoofing the caller ID and using artificial intelligence to deepfake the voice.

If a call is missing this confirmation signal, the receiving phone instantly notices the absence and pings the actual device of the contact to double-check.

If the contact is not actually calling, an on-screen warning will appear advising the user to hang up immediately.

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• Google is introducing a fake call detection feature to protect Android users from artificial intelligence voice-cloning scam attacks.

• The feature will be enabled by default and requires both parties to use the Phone by Google application.

• Users of Android 12 on Pixel devices will be the first to receive the global rollout this month.

Source: FORBES