Android Gets Fake Call Detection That Uses RCS 7
An anonymous reader quotes a report from 9to5Google: Phone by Google wants to combat the "growing threat of impersonation scams" and protect Android users against "sophisticated, AI-powered deepfake attacks" with fake call detection. [...] Fake call detection requires that both parties are on Android and use the Phone by Google app, while Google Messages and Google Contacts also have to be installed. When a contact calls, their phone "sends a silent confirmation signal in real time to your device to verify the call is legitimate and truly coming from the contact's device."
This digital handshake uses end-to-end encrypted RCS (Rich Communication Services). If you're being scammed by an impersonator, your phone will notice that the "initial confirmation signal will be missing," and ping the contact's real device to double-check. If their real device says, "I'm not making a call right now," you'll get a warning on your screen advising you to hang up immediately. This feature will be available globally on Android 12+ phones starting with Pixel devices this month. Fake call detection is enabled by default but can be turned off at any time. Google says itâ(TM)s "possible for other apps and device manufacturers to adopt this technology" given the RCS underpinnings. You can learn more about fake call detection in Google's blog post.
This digital handshake uses end-to-end encrypted RCS (Rich Communication Services). If you're being scammed by an impersonator, your phone will notice that the "initial confirmation signal will be missing," and ping the contact's real device to double-check. If their real device says, "I'm not making a call right now," you'll get a warning on your screen advising you to hang up immediately. This feature will be available globally on Android 12+ phones starting with Pixel devices this month. Fake call detection is enabled by default but can be turned off at any time. Google says itâ(TM)s "possible for other apps and device manufacturers to adopt this technology" given the RCS underpinnings. You can learn more about fake call detection in Google's blog post.
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The whole point here is that the scam caller spoofs the number and it does appear to come from one of your contacts.
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Which is why he said "TEXT FIRST"...
I'm largely the same, i never answer unexpected calls not just because of scams but because it's extremely inconvenient as a call forces me to stop whatever i'm doing immediately.
A legitimate caller will text or email first to arrange a mutually convenient time for a call.
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Depends on the sophistication and determination of the attacker...
You can quite easily see relationships between people based on social media, you can correlate this with known numbers. Similarly a lot of people disclose their phone numbers via email signatures so if you have multiple people from the same company with disclosed numbers you stand a reasonable chance that they will be in each other's contacts.
Simple solution (Score:2)
For financial emergency situations such as this, there will be a sense of urgency projected by the caller. Tell the calling party that you have to call them back to continue the discussion. There reaction should be frantic. That will give them away.
Unless they can intercept and reroute your outgoing calls via virus of some sort, or by penetration of your telecom carrier, this should be safe.
Never initiate any financial transaction until you have verified for yourself the request is genuine. Take time to th