Google is developing a feature to detect fraudulent bank calls.
Google is testing a simple but effective measure to prevent increasingly sophisticated bank scam calls, helping users avoid falling into online fraud traps.
Amidst increasingly sophisticated online banking scams, Google is quietly developing a new defense tool on Android to help users identify and avoid fraudulent schemes that steal funds via their phones.
According to analysis of the latest beta version of the Google Play Services app (v25.18.31), a feature called BankScamCallDetectionService is being tested with the specific goal of detecting phishing calls involving screen sharing when using banking apps.
How the scam works
The type of scam that Google is aiming to prevent often begins with a call from someone impersonating a bank employee or technical support staff.
These scammers gain the victim's trust by creating a sense of urgency, such as warning about suspicious transactions or the risk of losing money from their account.
Then, they instruct the victim to install screen-sharing software such as TeamViewer or AnyDesk to "resolve the issue." When the victim complies, the scammer can directly observe the activity on the screen, trick them into logging into their banking application, and from there easily steal money without needing sophisticated hacking techniques.
Google is researching solutions.Detecting anomalies in real time.
According to code snippets analyzed in the latest update, the phishing detection feature will automatically activate when a user receives a call from an unknown number—that is, a number not in their contacts—while simultaneously enabling screen sharing and opening the banking app during the call.
When a call meets all these criteria, the system will display a warning that the user may be the target of a scam, thus helping the user to be vigilant.
Unlike the Scam Call Detection feature already available on Pixel phones, which relies on artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze call content, the new method does not require recording or eavesdropping.
Combining data from three sources (calls from unknown numbers, screen sharing, and active banking applications) is considered robust enough to provide immediate alerts while still ensuring user privacy.
With hundreds of different banking apps operating globally, Google will likely maintain a separate list of apps to monitor called BankScamWarningFeature__monitored_banking_app_packages.
This list may be updated continuously to ensure the widest possible range of support, from major banks to local financial apps.
This new feature will be available for all devices with Google Play Services.
The good news for all Android users is that this feature will not be limited to devices running Android 16 or the Pixel line. This is because it's integrated into a key system component, common on most Android devices (Google Play Services).
The bank scam call detection feature will have the opportunity to reach hundreds of millions of Android users worldwide, regardless of the device they use.
Although still in the testing phase, this could be an important step in efforts to protect users from sophisticated scams, especially as users increasingly conduct financial transactions on mobile devices.
If Google widely implements this feature, it would be a valuable, simple, lightweight, yet extremely effective layer of defense to keep users' digital wallets safe.