Fake Courier and Bank KYC Texts Could Get Caught Early With This New Google Messages Feature

If your phone keeps getting texts about a parcel stuck at customs, a pending KYC update or an electricity bill that needs paying tonight, Google has a new tool to help. Google Messages is getting a feature called Enhanced Protection that uses Gemini AI to spot scam conversations and dangerous links from people who aren't in your contacts.

Google announced the feature earlier this month, and it has now started showing up for some users in the Google Messages beta, according to Digital Trends and 9to5Google. The rollout is gradual, so it may take a while to reach your phone.

Catching scams that start off friendly

Most scam texts today don't ask for money in the first message. Someone posing as a delivery agent or a bank executive starts with something harmless, builds trust over a few messages and only then asks for an OTP, a payment or your personal details.

Enhanced Protection looks at the whole conversation with an unknown sender, not just one message, so it can spot these patterns earlier. It also works on scams that don't follow a familiar script. This analysis happens on Google's cloud-based Gemini models, which is why Google says it is using a technology called Private AI Compute. The company claims message data is encrypted and processed in a sealed-off environment that even Google can't access.

Smarter checks for suspicious links

The second part of the update targets links. On supported phones, Google's on-device Gemini Nano model checks unfamiliar links using live web information, so it can catch new scam websites that haven't been added to any blocklist yet. You will also see clearer warnings when someone outside your contacts sends you a link.

The smart link checking works on the Pixel 10 series and newer, the Samsung Galaxy S26 lineup, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8, along with some other devices. The conversation-based scam detection is expected to support a wider range of phones, including Pixel 6 and later and Galaxy S24 and later.

How to turn it on

Enhanced Protection is opt-in, so it won't switch on by itself. Once it reaches your phone, open Google Messages, tap your profile picture, go to Messages settings, then Protection and safety, and select Spam and scam protection. You will see three options: Enhanced Protection, Standard Protection, which is the default, and No Protection.

Google hasn't said when the feature will be available in India. Given how common delivery, KYC and bill payment scams are here, Indian users would be among those who benefit most once it arrives. Until then, the old rule still applies: never share an OTP or click a link from a number you don't know.