Google has placed a strong emphasis on safety as its software theme for 2024. The recent update to Android 15 introduced various anti-theft measures for phones, followed by locking the Find My system behind biometric checks. Now, the focus is on enhancing security within the Messages app.
Today, Google announced new protections for the Messages app, with a particular emphasis on detecting and preventing package delivery scams and job frauds. These types of scams have been increasing rapidly, with fraudsters utilizing them for various malicious activities.
Even the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued warnings about the rise in package delivery scams, often initiated through misleading text messages containing fake links.
Google has integrated on-device AI capabilities into the Messages app to identify and warn users about scam messages, automatically moving them to the spam folder. This feature is already being rolled out to beta testers.
Furthermore, Google is expanding its safety scan system to automatically identify potentially malicious URLs. This proactive approach will help protect users from harmful links that could lead to malware or phishing attempts. The intelligent URL warnings will be available globally by the end of the year.
To prevent users from falling prey to international sender scams, Google will implement a feature that blocks messages from unknown international senders. These messages will be redirected to the “Spam & blocked” folder within the Messages app.
Google acknowledges the use of international virtual numbers by cybercriminals and will begin rolling out the feature to hide messages from international senders in Singapore, with plans for further expansion based on feedback.
To combat sophisticated fraud attempts, the Messages app will introduce a contact verification system using public keys for sender authenticity. This system will be compatible with Android 9 and newer versions.
