AI Scam Protection in India: The company has introduced on-device scam detection features in India that use its “Gemini Nano” AI model to analyse calls locally and flag possible scams – without recording or sending call audio to servers.
According to the Reserve Bank of India, digital transaction-fraud accounted for more than half of all reported bank fraud in India in 2024.
What Google is doing
Key features and moves:
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On-device real-time scam-detection on calls from unknown numbers, initially for Pixel 9 phones in India and in English only.
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Screen-sharing alerts for financial apps when a call is ongoing – helps detect when someone might be being manipulated in real time.
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Broader AI-fraud detection efforts globally and specifically tailored for the Indian market: for example, earlier the company launched its Safety Charter in India to expand “AI-led developments for fraud detection”.
Where the gaps still lie
Despite the advances, important limitations remain:
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Device reach: Pixel phones hold less than 1 % of India’s smartphone market, so many users remain unprotected.
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Language support: The feature currently works in English only in India – whereas a large share of users use regional languages.
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Awareness & action: Many scam incidents go unreported because victims may be unsure how to file complaints, or fear further scrutiny.
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Ecosystem coverage: Fraud spans a wide spectrum (deepfakes, loan-app scams, screen-sharing fraud) and requires coordination across devices, platforms, and languages.
Why it matters
With digital payments, smartphone usage and online services expanding rapidly in India, AI technology updates like this offer a significant shield against emerging threats. But the overall picture of AI adoption in businesses and broader consumer protection shows that even cutting-edge tools won’t succeed without scale, localisation and user education.
What you (and your network) should do
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If you’re using a smartphone even without Pixel, be aware of scams: unknown callers, screen-sharing prompts, or requests to install unknown apps are major red flags.
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Share this story with people who rely heavily on mobile payments or might be vulnerable (elderly, less digitally savvy).
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Businesses and entrepreneurs: include AI innovation in India in your risk assessment and consider how your own users might face scam threats.
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Stay updated on new protections, especially as language support and device coverage improves.
Have connections who run fintech, digital-payments services or manage user experience? They’ll want to know about this push in India and its implications for Artificial Intelligence trends 2025 and fraud-prevention strategy. Feel free to share this with them.
Google boosts AI scam protection in India to combat rising deepfake fraud – here’s what’s still missing