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Google has announced a new fake call detection feature for Android that aims to identify scam calls where fraudsters use AI-generated voices and spoofed phone numbers to impersonate a user’s contacts.
Rising threat of impersonation scams: The feature, which is rolling out this month in the Phone by Google app on Android 12 and newer devices, checks whether a call claiming to be from a saved contact actually originates from that person’s device. If the verification fails, Android displays a warning that the caller may be impersonating the contact.
The move comes amid growing concerns over impersonation scams. According to INTERPOL’s March 2026 Global Financial Fraud Threat Assessment, impersonation fraud is among the leading causes of global losses exceeding $400 billion. The US Federal Trade Commission also reported $2.95 billion in losses from impersonation scams in 2024.
How scammers operate: Google said scammers increasingly combine phone number spoofing with AI voice-cloning tools to mimic family members, employers or authority figures. The company cited expert assessments indicating that modern audio deepfakes are now difficult for most people to distinguish from real voices.
How the verification system works: The new system uses a verification process between devices via end-to-end encrypted Rich Communication Services (RCS). When both parties use Google’s Phone app, the caller’s device sends a silent verification signal during the call. If that signal is missing and the contact’s device confirms it is not placing the call, the recipient receives an alert advising caution.
Rollout and availability: The feature is enabled by default but can be disabled in the app settings. Google said it will first roll out on Pixel devices before expanding to other Android phones that use Phone by Google as their default calling app. Users of other dialer apps can install Phone by Google separately.
The company has also built the system on the open RCS standard, allowing other app developers and device makers to adopt similar protections.
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