Google is strengthening its defenses against digital fraud in India by introducing on-device scam detection for Pixel 9 smartphones and launching screen-sharing protection features for financial apps. The move comes at a critical time: fraud linked to digital payments is accelerating sharply across the country, driven by the rapid surge of first-time internet users and increased reliance on smartphones for essential transactions. According to the Reserve Bank of India, fraud involving digital transactions represented more than half of all reported bank fraud in 2024, with 13,516 cases leading to losses of ₹5.2 billion (about $58.61 million). The Ministry of Home Affairs further estimates that online scams caused nearly ₹70 billion (around $789 million) in losses in the first five months of 2025 — and experts believe many incidents still go unreported.
On Thursday, Google announced a major expansion of its real-time scam-detection capability in India, a feature that analyzes active phone calls using Gemini Nano to detect suspicious behavior locally on the device without transmitting audio to Google servers. “The feature is off by default and applies only to calls from unknown numbers, and it plays a beep during the conversation to notify participants.” It was first launched as a beta rollout in the U.S. for English-speaking Pixel 9 users in March.
“Google confirmed to TechCrunch that its on-device scam detection will initially work only on Pixel 9 and later models in India and will be limited to English-speaking users, with its warning also English only.” This means coverage remains narrow in a market overwhelmingly dominated by Android — but where Pixel devices held less than 1% market share in 2024. Google says it is working to extend support to more Android phones but has not shared a launch timeline.
Google is simultaneously piloting a new system designed to combat screen-sharing scams — increasingly used by criminals to steal OTPs, PINs, and other sensitive credentials. The pilot, available on Android 11 and above, will show alerts in supported financial apps like Paytm, Google Pay, and Navi and offer a one-tap option to stop screen sharing and disconnect the call.
Beyond these features, Google continues its broader anti-fraud initiatives: using Play Protect to block malicious loan apps, issuing over a million fraud alerts weekly through Google Pay, and expanding its public awareness campaign DigiKavach, which has reached more than 250 million users. However, the company still faces scrutiny for not fully preventing scam apps from appearing on the Play Store — highlighting the constant challenge of securing India’s massive smartphone ecosystem.
