Google reminds Android users of an overlooked scam detection tool

Google’s suite of scam detection features is great at filtering out suspicious messages and calls before you fall for them. The tech giant has been steadily improving the collection and rolling it out to more users, though that’s also the big catch here. Not all scam detection features are available on every Android phone. Newer developments, like enhanced protection mode in Google Messages, are available on even fewer devices. With the company announcing new tools, it’s worth revisiting an existing one that’s available to a much wider range of users and devices.

Google is highlighting that scam detection is available via Circle to Search (CtS), giving a larger subset of users who don’t have scam detection natively access to preventive tools that can help them avoid falling victim to fraud.

CtS can analyze suspicious text messages and leverage AI Overviews to offer relevant insight and next steps.

The process is fairly straightforward. You invoke CtS using the shortcut of your choice and circle a text message that you might think is fraudulent. CtS then surfaces an AI Overview that breaks down signs pointing to the message actually being a scam or not. I tried this out with a message purporting to be from an acquaintance named Mark. The sender claimed to be stranded and asked for $150. CtS immediately identified the message as a scam and even shared the reasons behind that conclusion.

The red flags Google pointed out were:

1. The message came from an unknown sender.
2. The link it included is not an official or secure financial link.
3. The message uses fraudulent tactics like urgency to trap unsuspecting victims.

AI Overviews also highlight subsequent steps to be taken, like blocking the number and, in this case, contacting the actual person being impersonated.

This isn’t a replacement for built-in proactive scam detection. CtS won’t monitor incoming messages automatically. You will have to manually select messages to investigate.

No CtS? No problem

Similar to native scam detection tech, CtS, too, isn’t available on Android phones. But the Google app is. Well, on almost all Android phones (Android 6.0+).

Google Lens offers the exact same scam-checking functionality as CtS. The only difference is that instead of directly circling a message, you’d need to first screenshot it, upload it to Lens, and then circle the suspicious text. The trick extends to iPhones too, albeit via the Google app’s Lens integration.

Even if the visual detection tools can’t flag a text as being suspicious, it’s best to stay vigilant and avoid clicking links from senders you don’t recognize.