Google began rolling out an Android in-call scam protection pilot in the United States in December 2025, working with financial institutions including JPMorganChase and fintechs like Cash App.
The feature addresses social engineering scams where criminals impersonate banks or trusted institutions by phone, tricking victims into sharing their screen to reveal banking information or make a financial transfer.
When users open a participating financial app while screen sharing during a call with an unsaved contact, their Android 11 or newer device displays a warning message. A 30-second pause prevents immediate action. One button ends the call and stops screen sharing.
The alert warns that callers may pose as someone else and advises against following instructions or sharing personal information.
Google tested this protection in the United Kingdom earlier in 2025. The company stated the UK pilot helped thousands of users end calls that could have resulted in significant financial losses. Google has now expanded the protection to most major UK banks and recently launched pilots in Brazil and India. Participating apps include traditional banking apps and peer-to-peer payment apps.
A YouGov survey commissioned by Google polled daily smartphone users who had been exposed to scam or fraud attempts. Among respondents who use the default texting app, Android users were 58 percent more likely than iOS users to report receiving no scam texts in the prior week.
Google stated it plans to bring these protections to more users.
Notes: This post was drafted with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed, edited, and published by humans.
Read next: Location Data From Apps and Carriers Enables Tracking Without Warrants
The feature addresses social engineering scams where criminals impersonate banks or trusted institutions by phone, tricking victims into sharing their screen to reveal banking information or make a financial transfer.
When users open a participating financial app while screen sharing during a call with an unsaved contact, their Android 11 or newer device displays a warning message. A 30-second pause prevents immediate action. One button ends the call and stops screen sharing.
The alert warns that callers may pose as someone else and advises against following instructions or sharing personal information.
Google tested this protection in the United Kingdom earlier in 2025. The company stated the UK pilot helped thousands of users end calls that could have resulted in significant financial losses. Google has now expanded the protection to most major UK banks and recently launched pilots in Brazil and India. Participating apps include traditional banking apps and peer-to-peer payment apps.
A YouGov survey commissioned by Google polled daily smartphone users who had been exposed to scam or fraud attempts. Among respondents who use the default texting app, Android users were 58 percent more likely than iOS users to report receiving no scam texts in the prior week.
Google stated it plans to bring these protections to more users.
Notes: This post was drafted with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed, edited, and published by humans.
Read next: Location Data From Apps and Carriers Enables Tracking Without Warrants
