Google has announced a new Fake Call Detection feature for Android, designed to shield users from scammers who fake calls from people they know. The company claims it's an industry first: the system can verify whether an incoming call actually originates from a real contact's device, rather than from a fraudster spoofing the number and voice.
The rise of AI-powered voice cloning has made this problem more acute. Scammers can now not only spoof a caller ID but also mimic the voice of a relative, boss, or any trusted contact. The screen might show "Mom," while a highly convincing voice on the line asks for an urgent money transfer. According to INTERPOL, identity theft scams are one of the main drivers of global losses reaching hundreds of billions of dollars. In the United States, such schemes rank among the most common complaints filed with the FTC.
Google's new system works when both parties use Phone by Google. On a call to a known number, the caller's device sends a silent confirmation signal to the recipient's phone, proving the call is coming from a real device. This mechanism relies on RCS end-to-end encryption and operates in the background without any user input.
If a scammer spoofs the number but can't send this signal, the recipient's phone detects the mismatch and asks for additional verification from the actual contact's device. If that device confirms it's not making a call, a warning pops up advising the user to hang up. This way, Google aims to intercept attacks in real time, before the user can be convinced by a fake voice.
Fake Call Detection is enabled by default but can be disabled in Phone by Google settings. The rollout starts this month worldwide, with Google Pixel devices running Android 12 or newer getting it first. Because Phone by Google comes pre-installed as the default dialer on many Android phones, the feature could reach a large user base quickly.
Google stresses that the technology uses open RCS standards and is not meant to be limited to one ecosystem. Other app developers and device makers can adopt it in the future, strengthening protection against phone fraud across Android. This matters at a time when a voice on the line can no longer be trusted without verification.