Malicious actors continue to adopt increasingly advanced tactics, making it more and more difficult to identify scams over the years. Now, Google is looking to address the issue by introducing a scam detection feature to its Circle to Search tool.
To use the new capability, the user only has to activate Circle to Search and circle the suspicious text. Making the selection will bring up an AI overview that will inform the user if the message may be a scam. The overview will also include suggestions on the appropriate steps to take.
Aside from introducing the functionality to Circle to Search, Google has made it available via its Lens visual search tool, so iOS users aren’t missing out. To use this feature, the user must upload a screenshot of the message.
According to Google, the new feature is now available globally, although the overview will only appear when the company’s systems have “high confidence” in the quality of the response. The capability relies on both AI and information on the web to assess the contents of the messages.
Of course, this does mean that the feature likely won’t be completely accurate all the time. As the company itself says, the capability serves to help users “see the telltale signs” to avoid getting deceived. Ultimately, it is up to users to remain vigilant.
(Source: Google [blog])
