Amid growing pressure from the payments industry for greater accountability, Google has announced new AI-driven updates to its Search infrastructure to block fraudulent results.
In a blog post published on 8 May, Google outlined how its core platforms, including Chrome, Search and Android, are now using advanced machine learning and large language models (LLMs) to better detect and remove fraudulent content.
The payments industry has increasingly criticised Big Tech firms like Google for being left out of regulation accountability around fraud prevention, despite much of today’s payments fraud originating on their platforms.
Google Search is one of the most used entry points to the internet, making it a key target for scammers. The company states that new AI-powered tools, such as LLMs, have enabled it to catch “20 times the number of scammy pages”.
These systems analyse vast amounts of text across the web to identify coordinated scam campaigns and detect emerging threats.
In its Fighting Scams on Search report, Google highlighted an increase in scammers impersonating airline customer service providers. The company stated: “We’ve already reduced these scams by more than 80% in Search, greatly reducing the risk that you call a scammy phone number.”
Chrome has also received upgrades, with Google emphasising that its Enhanced Protection mode in Safe Browsing offers “the highest level of protection” on the browser.
Addressing APP fraud concerns
One of the most common forms of fraud, particularly in the UK, is Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud. In these scams, victims are tricked into sending money to bad actors pretending to be someone they know or trust.
This type of fraud has become more sophisticated in recent months, with scammers using advanced AI tools to create more convincing deep fake methods. The payments industry in the UK has been vocal in urging Big Tech companies to be more proactive in combating this issue.
Google has responded with efforts to protect Android users from fraudulent text messages and phone calls. The company highlighted its launch of on-device AI-powered Scam Detection in Google Messages and Phone, which helps users avoid these types of scams.
When suspicious patterns are detected in SMS, MMS and RCS messages, users are warned of a likely scam. They can choose to dismiss, report, or block the sender.
Additionally, Google’s AI models analyse conversations in real time, alerting users to potential scams. If a caller asks for payment via gift cards to complete a delivery, Scam Detection will provide audio and haptic notifications, as well as a visual warning that the call may be a scam.
