Google announces upcoming security tools for Android, including enhanced protection against banking scam calls - Engadget

"Google is teaming up with select banks and financial institutions to slow down this practice. There's a new spoofing protection feature that automatically ends calls from numbers impersonating any of the participating banks. This also sends a notification to the user, letting them know that they likely received a scam call."

"This feature is rolling out in the coming weeks for devices running Android 11 and newer, but there's a major caveat for US-based users. As of this writing, Google has only partnered up with Revolut, Itaú and Nubank, none of which operate in the US. The company promises that it's "expanding to more banks later this year.""

"Google has also announced a pending expansion for its Live Threat Detection feature. This is the platform that analyzes app behavior to look for anything suspicious. The tool will soon be able to suss out more apps "looking to scam or abuse users.""

"It uses something called dynamic signal monitoring to detect suspicious patterns or actions made by an app. This checks for SMS forwarding, which is when an app forwards a message to another number, and a trick in which the app rigs the accessibility permissions to display content on the screen. These improvements are coming to Android 17 devices later this year."

Enhanced protections target banking scam calls by automatically ending calls that impersonate participating banks and notifying users. The feature is rolling out for Android 11 and newer, with partnerships currently limited to Revolut, Itaú, and Nubank for non-US users, with expansion planned later in the year. Live Threat Detection is also expanding to identify more apps seeking to scam or abuse users. Dynamic signal monitoring will detect suspicious behaviors, including SMS forwarding and attempts to manipulate accessibility permissions to display content on the screen. These improvements are planned for Android 17 devices later this year, alongside additional security enhancements aimed at reducing harm from device theft.

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