Google reveals ‘warning message’ rule that millions must follow or risk criminals ‘stealing their personal information’ with text

GOOGLE has an alert system when it thinks you are being targeted with a dangerous text message.

Detecting the signals on your Android phone could save you from a sinister (and expensive) cyberattack.

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It is a fundamental defense against messages designed to extract your personal information.

This is a common route for criminals as it is very easy to send text messages to a large number of potential victims.

GOOGLE SUSPICIOUS MESSAGE ALERTS

Google says alerts don’t just work in your default Messages app — but in other apps as well.

“Suspicious message alerts warn you when a message you receive looks similar to messages that have been used to steal personal information,” Google explained.

“Alerts work on your phone and are compatible with popular messaging apps.”

If you are worried about Google reading your texts, don’t panic.

Google says your phone will “privately process” messages on the device.

Text content is not being sent to the cloud to be analyzed for dangerous content.

Google says it doesn’t share your texts with apps, websites or companies.

When your phone detects a suspicious text, you will receive a warning message.

You can then confirm that it was indeed suspicious by tapping the Report button.

If you click Report, the text message will be shared and stored by Google – in an attempt to protect other users.

And if the sender is not one of your contacts, an identifier for them will also be shared.

Phone scam statistics

Americans are bombarded with three billion spam calls per month. What are the numbers regarding the number of victims and the amount of money lost to fraudsters

• In 2022, Americans lost an estimated $39.5 billion to phone fraud, with 68.4 million US citizens affected, according to TechReport.
• The average phone scam victim lost $567.41 each in 2021, a huge increase from the figure of $182 per victim in 2021, according to Hiya.
• Most scams happen over the phone, with fraudsters twice as likely to call compared to text in 2021, as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports.
• In 2021, the US saw a 56% increase in spam phone calls, with 60% of those robocalls.
• US residents receive an average of 18 spam phone calls per month, although some experts believe the real number could be as high as 31 per month.
• Many phone calls from reputable companies can be mistakenly marked as spam, but 38% of companies have no idea whether they are being marked as “potential fraud” or not, according to Hiya.
• Never provide personal or financial information if you suspect a phone call is a scam. For example, your bank will never ask for these full details over the phone.
• To reduce spam calls and scams, sign up for the Do Not Call Registry. Telemarketers, by law, will need to check this list before calling you.
• Downloading third-party apps like Hiya, Nomorobo or Truecaller can help filter annoying spam calls.
• Try not to share your phone number unless necessary, especially online or with sketchy sources.

But the report will not be linked to you or any identifiers like your name or phone number, Google says.

OFF?

If you don’t want suspicious message alerts, you can easily turn them off.

Just go to the Settings app and tap Security > Advanced Settings.

Then go to Suspicious message alerts and turn off Show alerts.

You can turn them back on at any time.