Android is introducing fake call detection to help protect users from impersonation scams. The feature can detect and flag suspected spoofed calls when both parties use Phone by Google on Android 12 or later. It will roll out globally this month, starting with Pixel devices.
Story of two calls from “Mom” (Source: Google)
“Fake call detection helps protect you, your family and friends by identifying when a caller isn’t who they claim to be, giving you an extra layer of defense against sophisticated AI voice-cloning scams, also called deepfake attacks, involving your contacts,” Google researchers explained.
Scammers know that many people ignore calls from unknown numbers, so they often impersonate contacts using two methods.
The first involves spoofing a phone number. Calls are routed through internet-based software to make them appear as if they are coming from a known contact. The second uses AI voice-cloning technology to mimic a family member, employer, or other trusted person.
With only a few seconds of audio, criminals can clone a person’s voice using recordings from online videos, social media posts, or other publicly available sources.
While AI voice-cloning scams initially targeted individuals, particularly older adults, by impersonating relatives or trusted contacts, they are increasingly being used against businesses in social engineering, fraud, and impersonation attacks.
How it works
The fake call detection feature is enabled by default and runs in the background, acting as a digital handshake between two devices using the Phone by Google app. When a contact calls, their device sends a silent confirmation signal to verify that the call is legitimate and originates from that device. The process uses end-to-end encrypted Rich Communication Services (RCS) technology.
If a scammer attempts to impersonate a contact, the initial confirmation signal will be missing. The recipient’s device then checks with the contact’s device. If the contact’s device indicates that no call is being made, a warning appears on the recipient’s screen that someone may be pretending to call from the contact’s number and advises them to hang up.
Users can disable the feature in the Phone by Google settings. Phone by Google comes preinstalled as the default calling app on most Android devices. If a device uses another calling app, users can download Phone by Google from the Play Store and set it as the default to help identify and block scam calls.
Google says it is building the feature on top of RCS, allowing other apps and device manufacturers to adopt the technology.
