A NEW warning from Google will reveal if you're unwittingly chatting with a criminal.
Scammers love pretending to be someone else to bag your info or money – and Google has a clever new way to stop it.
The tech giant is rolling out a special feature to Android phones called AI-powered Scam Detection.
It will scan the texts that you're receiving in the Messages app, and then warn you if it seems like a "suspicious conversation".
The feature might need to see a few texts to pick up on the scam before it'll warn you.
Google says that paying attention to the alert is an easy way to "protect yourself from fraud".
"Google Messages now uses AI to flag conversational text patterns commonly associated with scams," explained Google's Angana Ghosh.
"So you can identify messages that seem harmless, but turn dangerous over time.
"If Google Messages suspects a scam, you'll receive a real-time warning so you can easily block and report the conversation.
"This feature can help protect you before you lose money or sensitive information."
It's important to note that someone at Google isn't sitting there reading your texts.
Instead, it's an AI system on your phone – scanning messages and reporting dangers to you personally, not Google.
"Scam Detection happens on your device, so your conversations remain private," said Angana, who heads up Product Management for Android phones.
Google says that many scam texts start off innocently with conversational introductions.
But they'll soon become sinister, "gradually manipulating victims" over the course of a chat.
And Google warns that these crooks will try to trick you into sharing sensitive data, handing over funds, or switching to other less-safe chat apps.
"Traditional spam protections are focused on protecting users before the conversation starts," said Google's Lyubov Farafonova.
"And are less effective against these latest tactics from scammers that turn dangerous mid-conversation and use social engineering techniques.
"To better protect users, we invested in new, intelligent AI models capable of detecting suspicious patterns and delivering real-time warnings over the course of a conversation, all while prioritizing user privacy."
The tech giant warned that scammers stole more than $1 trillion from mobile phone owners in 2024 alone.
Get the latest upgrades...
Updating your Android phone is extremely important.
For a start, it means you'll get fancy new features to make your phone better.
But updates often include fixes that can repair security problems – or help you to stay safe from crooks.
You can check what software version you have by going into Settings > About Phone > Android Version.
And if you want to update, you can just go to Settings > System > Software Update.
Note that your Android phone will probably have worse battery life in the days following an update – but it should get better.
Picture Credit: Google
And it revealed that the majority of scams now come via phone calls and text messages.
The new Scam Detection feature will look for suspicious texting patterns in all Messages app texts.
That includes SMS, MMS, and RCS messages.
If it detects a problem, you'll see a red banner pop up with a shield icon.
It will say "Scam Detection: Likely Scam", and warn: "Suspicious activity detected. Common scams often start this way."
You'll then be given the option to dismiss the alert, or report and block the sender.
If you decide to report the person, the sender's details will be shared with Google and mobile carriers, as well as your recent messages with the potential scammer.
Scam Detection will be switched on by default for Google Messages users in the UK, US, and Canada.
And it'll only apply to conversations that you're having with people who aren't already contacts.
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