Google’s new scam defenses on Android can hide your bank details and hang up on fraudsters

Scammers are getting smarter and more tech-savvy with each passing day, abusing phone features that can be used against you. So Google is rolling out a new Android security update, which aims to make some of those workarounds harder to pull off.

Android is getting several new scam protections spanning Google Messages, screen sharing, notifications, and call forwarding. One of the handy security upgrades is with screen sharing. Android can now automatically black out login fields and payment screens so sensitive information doesn’t appear in the live feed when you stream the contents of your display through Chrome or an Android Web. The feature starts rolling out this month on devices running Android 15 or newer.

Google Messages scam shield is getting more robust

Google is also introducing an optional Enhanced protection mode in Messages over the coming weeks. Turn it on and Scam Detection can use Google’s cloud Gemini models to analyze more complicated conversations with unknown senders, looking for slow-burn scams where the malicious intent may only become obvious after several messages. The company is running the analysis through Private AI Compute, where the data is encrypted and processed in a dedicated environment and not with Google.

Gemini Nano handles another layer locally. On supported phones, it can use real-time web signals to judge unfamiliar links before you tap them, while redesigned warnings add another checkpoint for links coming from numbers outside your contacts. Additionally, Google is even expanding scam warnings in chat notifications beyond Pixel. The feature will reach devices from manufacturers including HONOR, Motorola, OPPO, OnePlus, realme, vivo, Xiaomi, and others later this year.

Call forwarding won’t be so easy to abuse either

The next scamming trick that is being dealt with is related to call forwarding. Occasionally, scammers can quietly redirect your calls so an attacker can intercept one-time passcodes. Now, apps will no longer be able to silently enable call forwarding in the background.

So even if someone convinces you to manually enter an MMI forwarding code into the dialer, Android can also warn you before it takes effect. This protection begins arriving in early December on Pixel and other select devices. Earlier this year, Google announced new safeguards against scamming on Android, and the latest update is in line with this same push.

Google is backing these announcements with its own research as well. A Google-commissioned Leviathan Security Group assessment compared the Pixel 11 Pro, Galaxy S26, Motorola Razr 2026, and iPhone 18 Pro across 31 built-in security features. Google says Android devices scored better overall for areas including proactive call screening, fake-call detection, and Circle to Search threat warnings.

Google is hanging up on fake banks

Google claims bank impersonation scams there rose 195.7% over a 12-month period, citing the Brazilian Federation of Banks. Android has partnered with Banco do Brasil, Itaú Unibanco, and other financial institutions to verify incoming bank calls directly against official banking apps. If someone claims to represent a bank and Android cannot verify that the bank actually placed the call, the phone can hang up automatically and warn the user.

The brand has apparently already blocked more than 3 million spoofed calls involving Banco do Brasil and Itaú since June, including calls spoofing official inbound-only bank numbers. Verified financial calls are also being used with institutions such as Revolut worldwide, with Google planning to add more partners.

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