If you’ve ever clicked a link and suddenly been hit with a pop-up warning that your device has a virus, you’re not alone. These fake “tech support” scams are everywhere — and now, Google is stepping up its efforts to stop them using artificial intelligence.

In a recent blog post, Google announced it’s rolling out a new AI-powered safety feature in Chrome that can identify and flag scam websites the moment you click on them. The tool uses a lightweight version of its Gemini AI model, known as Gemini Nano, which runs directly on your device. That means faster detection and enhanced privacy — no need to send your data to the cloud.

How It Works

When users enable Chrome’s “enhanced protection” mode on desktop, Gemini Nano kicks in to scan web pages in real-time. If the AI detects something suspicious, like a cloaked phishing site or a deceptive tech support scam, it will trigger a warning screen — giving users the option to back out before falling into a trap.

This is part of a broader AI-driven push across Google’s platforms — including Chrome, Search, and Android — to combat the growing sophistication of online scams.

Why It Matters

Online scammers have become increasingly effective thanks to AI, which allows them to generate convincing fake content at scale. According to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, consumers lost more than $1 trillion to scams in the past year alone.

“Fighting scammers has always been a cat-and-mouse game,” said Phiroze Parakh, senior director of engineering for Google Search. “Now, both sides have AI tools — the question is who uses them more effectively.”

Other Key Updates from Google:

• Android Alerts: Android users will now get warnings if scammy sites try to send them suspicious Chrome notifications — and they’ll be able to unsubscribe with a single tap.
• Search Protection: Google says AI now blocks 20 times more scammy websites from appearing in search results than it did just a few years ago. In 2024 alone, the company removed hundreds of millions of scam pages every day.
• Airline Scam Crackdown: One major success involved fake customer service numbers in airline-related searches. Thanks to AI, Google has reduced these types of scams by 80%.

The Bigger Picture

Google isn’t alone in this AI-powered battle. Other companies are also leveraging smart technology to fight fraud:

• UK mobile carrier O2 uses a chatbot named Daisy to tie up phone scammers’ time.
• Microsoft has tested a tool that listens in on phone calls to detect fraud in real time.
• The U.S. Treasury Department says AI helped recover $1 billion in check fraud in 2024 alone.

With scams evolving fast, companies are racing to stay one step ahead — and it looks like AI may finally give defenders an edge.

Source: CNN – Google is using AI to identify scammy websites on Chrome when you click on them

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