"Google on Thursday revealed that the scam defenses built into Android safeguard users around the world from more than 10 billion suspected malicious calls and messages every month. The tech giant also said it has blocked over 100 million suspicious numbers from using Rich Communication Services (RCS), an evolution of the SMS protocol, thereby preventing scams before they could even be sent."
"In recent years, the company has adopted various safeguards to combat phone call scams and automatically filter known spam using on-device artificial intelligence and move them automatically to the "spam & blocked" folder in the Google Messages app for Android. Earlier this month, Google also globally rolled out safer links in Google Messages, warning users when they attempt to click on any URLs in a message flagged as spam and step them visiting the potentially harmful website, unless the message is marked as "not spam.""
"Google said its analysis of user-submitted reports in August 2025 found employment fraud to be the most prevalent scam category, where individuals searching for work are lured with fake opportunities in order to steal their personal and financial information. Another prominent category relates to financially-motivated scams that revolve around bogus unpaid bills, subscriptions, and fees, as well as fraudulent investment schemes."
"In an interesting twist, Google said it has increasingly witnessed scam messages arrive in the form of a group chat with a number of potential victims, as opposed to sending them a direct message. "This shift may have happened because group messages can feel less suspicious to recipients, particularly when a scammer includes a fellow scammer in the group to validate the initial message and make it appear to be a legitimate conversation," Google said."
Android's scam defenses block more than 10 billion suspected malicious calls and messages globally each month and have blocked over 100 million suspicious RCS numbers. On-device artificial intelligence filters known spam and moves it to the "spam & blocked" folder in Google Messages for Android. Safer links in Google Messages warn users before they visit URLs flagged as spam unless marked "not spam." Analysis of user reports in August 2025 found employment fraud most prevalent, followed by financially motivated scams involving bogus bills, subscriptions, fees, and investment schemes. Scams also include package, government impersonation, romance, and technical support, with scammers increasingly using group chats to target multiple victims.
Read at The Hacker News
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