Fighting the fraud: Google plans to roll out anti-spam pop-ups soon

New alerts will trigger when calls, screen-sharing, and payment apps overlap

Google on Thursday said it will soon roll out a feature that pops up a warning when a user is on a call, sharing their screen with someone else, and has a financial transaction application (app) open at the same time.

 

The feature, currently being piloted with Google Pay, Paytm, and Navi, alerts users that the call may be a scam and offers a one-tap option to end both the call and the screen share.

 

Google is also introducing a real-time scam detection tool for calls that will warn Pixel users about suspicious behaviour without recording audio, transcripts or sharing data with Google. 

 

“The feature is off by default, applies only to calls from unknown numbers, emits a beep to notify participants, and can be turned off at any time,” Google said.

 

A third project in the works is bringing the globally adopted enhanced phone number verification (ePNV) system to India. The technology, now being tested with partners, aims to replace SMS-based one-time passwords with SIM-based verification built into the device.

 

“In India, where the digital economy is booming, we are building artificial intelligence (AI) systems designed to keep user trust intact as India transitions to AI. When AI-powered defences run on the device, it gives us an edge over bad actors seeking to target individuals or public infrastructure. India’s scale and complexity make it the world’s proving ground for reliable AI safety,” said Evan Kotsovinos, vice-president of privacy, safety, and security at Google.

 

Google said in a blog post that it has blocked more than 115 million attempts to install sideloaded apps, misusing sensitive permissions commonly exploited for financial fraud in India.

 

To strengthen its protection capabilities, Google Pay systems now display over 1 million warnings each week for potentially fraudulent transactions.

 

“At Google, we are taking a 360-degree approach to safety — combining on-product and Cloud protections, digital literacy to empower users with knowledge and awareness, ongoing safety research to keep updating our defences along with the shifting goalpost, and collaboration across the ecosystem so the entire chain grows stronger and smarter,” said Preeti Lobana, country manager for Google India. 

Fighting the fraud

• Currently tested on Google Pay, PayTM, and Navi
• You can quickly stop screen sharing or end the call after alert triggers
• Pixel phones will warn about suspicious calls without recording or sharing audio
• Enabled only for unknown numbers and can be turned off anytime
• Google blocked 115 million risky app installs in India, so far