Fake toll texts are flooding phones. Google’s latest update is fighting back.
Google has introduced a new update to its Messages app that can spot and warn users about suspicious texts, starting with one of the most common ones: fake messages about unpaid tolls. The feature uses on-device AI to flag potentially fraudulent messages before users interact with them, helping stop scams in real time.
The news comes as scammers have flooded people’s phones with fake “unpaid toll” messages, trying to trick them into clicking shady links and providing personal information.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans lost $470 million to text scams in 2024. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received 60,000 complaints about fake toll messages last year alone, with fake unpaid toll texts nearly quadrupling between January and late February, according to McAfee.
How Google’s new scam detection works
Starting this week, Google Messages will flag suspicious texts with AI-powered scam detection. This new tool analyzes incoming texts and looks for red flags such as:
- Urgent demands (“Pay now or face legal action!”).
- Suspicious links (URLs that don’t match real toll agencies).
- Poor grammar (a common giveaway in phishing scams).
When a suspicious text comes in, your phone will flash a “Likely Scam” warning inside the Messages app. You’ll then have the option to block the sender, report the message, or mark it as safe. In addition to detecting unpaid toll scams, the system can flag messages related to cryptocurrency fraud, fake tech support offers, and gift card scams.
Google says the message scanning occurs on your device, not in the cloud. This means that Google doesn’t send your messages to its servers for analysis, keeping your information private.
Google vs. the scam surge
Google isn’t the only company on alert. McAfee and Bitdefender also offer scam detection tools. But what sets Google apart is that this protection is baked into Android’s default messaging app with no extra downloads needed.
This update is part of a larger rollout ahead of Google’s developers’ conference next week. The rollout includes updates to Android’s design and the expansion of AI assistant Gemini into smartwatches and cars.
And it’s not the only recent safety step. Google also recently introduced:
- A Chrome browser feature that identifies scam websites.
- A tool that warns users if they share their screen with a stranger while using a banking app.
Experts warn scammers will adapt
While the new tool adds a strong layer of defense, cybersecurity experts caution that scammers will continue evolving their tactics.
“They’re definitely going to look at today’s announcement and other technologies that are already out there, and they’re going to be testing their wares against them,” said Nikolas Behar, a cybersecurity professor at the University of San Diego, in a statement reported by CBS8.
Behar added, “They’re making sure that they’re doing everything they can to bypass them and monetize folks clicking on the links and handing over their sensitive information.”
What you can do
Even with Google’s upgraded protection, experts say users must be cautious. To stay safe:
- Don’t click on random links, especially if you don’t recognize the number.
- Use official websites to access your account.
- Verify messages with the actual toll agency.
- Keep your phone OS updated.
The new scam detection is already being implemented in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada. It will soon be expanded to other countries.
