Google arms Search, Chrome, and Android with new AI tools to fight online scams

Google

Google is doubling down on AI-powered protections as it tackles an evolving and relentless wave of online scams. In a blog post, the company outlined how artificial intelligence is becoming the backbone of its defense strategy across Search, Chrome, and Android — with recent advances delivering a dramatic uptick in scam detection.

According to the blog post, Google’s AI systems now block hundreds of millions of scammy results daily in Search alone. The company claims it now catches 20 times more fraudulent pages than before, aided by improvements in AI classifiers that can identify patterns behind coordinated scam campaigns. One growing threat involves fake airline customer service listings, which Google says it has reduced in Search by over 80%.

On Chrome, Google is bringing its on-device large language model, Gemini Nano, to the browser’s Enhanced Protection mode. This move allows Chrome to instantly analyze suspicious websites and fend off phishing attacks and tech support scams — even those that haven’t been previously identified. Gemini Nano’s on-device architecture means users get real-time warnings without compromising privacy.

Android users are also gaining new layers of defense. A machine learning model in Chrome for Android now flags suspicious push notifications, giving users the option to opt out before they’re hit with spam or scams. Meanwhile, scam detection tools have also been added to Google Messages and the Phone app, helping users avoid fraud that starts with deceptive calls or texts.

Scams may be evolving, but so is Google’s playbook. With AI at the helm, the company is equipping all its major apps and services to deal with scams.