Google enhances Android security with new AI-powered scam protections

What happened

Google announced new AI-powered defenses against increasingly sophisticated scam messages and call-forwarding abuse on Android devices. Endpoint/Device Security , Threat Intelligence Google enhances Android security with new AI-powered scam protections October 18, 2026 Share By SC Staff (Adobe Stock) Following insights from Bleeping Computer, Google announced new AI-powered defenses against increasingly sophisticated scam messages and call-forwarding abuse on Android devices. Google is an Internet and software company based in Mountain View, and its products and services include Google Voice.

Android's sensitive-information masking will be extended to Chrome and Android WebView, hiding sensitive screens during screen sharing. The system will also block apps from silently enabling call forwarding and warn users before manual MMI forwarding codes are activated.

These measures are designed to combat evolving threats like fraudulent bank alerts and AI voice-cloning attacks that are becoming harder for users to detect. Google's new protections leverage cloud-based Gemini analysis within an encrypted environment for complex conversations in Google Messages, identifying signs of fraud.

On-device Gemini Nano also checks unfamiliar links using real-time web signals and provides clearer warnings. Google is also expanding its verified bank calls system, which verifies if an incoming call is from a legitimate bank or a spoofing attempt, automatically ending fraudulent calls. These updates aim to bolster security for millions of Android users against advanced mobile scams.