How to Identify Scam Calls and Messages Targeting Android Users

Recognise Red Flags in Messages

• Unexpected messages from unknown numbers, especially those promising prizes, discounts, or requesting personal information.
• Messages containing poor grammar, spelling mistakes, or unusual phrasing. Legitimate organisations usually employ professional communication.
• Links that look suspicious or don't match the sender's apparent identity. Hovering over a link (if on a computer, or carefully long-pressing on Android without tapping) can reveal its true destination.
• Messages asking you to act immediately, threatening consequences if you don't comply, or creating a sense of panic.
• Any request for your passwords, bank details, or other sensitive personal data.

Spotting Deceptive Calls

• Unsolicited calls from unknown numbers, especially those claiming to be from your bank, government agencies, or tech support.
• Callers who pressure you to make immediate decisions, such as transferring money or providing account details.
• Callers who ask for remote access to your device. Legitimate organisations will never ask for this over the phone.
• Unusual background noise or poor call quality that might indicate a call centre in an unexpected location.
• Insistent callers who try to keep you on the line and discourage you from verifying their identity.

Checking Your Phone's Call and Message Logs

1. Open your Phone app. Look for repeated calls from unknown or blocked numbers that you don't recognise. On Samsung devices, this app is usually called Phone or Dialler.
2. Within the Phone app, check the 'Recents' or 'Call history' tab for any calls marked as 'Spam' or 'Scam' by your carrier or phone's built-in filtering.
3. Open your Messages app. Review any conversations in the 'Spam & blocked' or 'Archived' sections that you might have overlooked or been filtered automatically. On Samsung, this might be in Messages → More options (three dots) → Spam and blocked.
4. Note the full phone numbers of suspicious callers or message senders. These can be useful for reporting purposes.

Using Built-in Security Features to Identify Threats

1. Navigate to Settings → Spam and Call Screen (on Pixel) or similar (e.g., Settings → Block numbers and spam on Samsung). Check if 'See caller and spam ID' or 'Caller ID and spam protection' is enabled. This feature uses Google's database to identify known spam and scam numbers.
2. Check your messaging app's spam protection settings. For Google Messages, go to Messages → Profile icon → Messages settings → Spam protection and ensure 'Enable spam protection' is switched on.
3. Look for 'Verified Calls' under your Settings → Spam and Call Screen. When enabled, this feature from Google helps show you who's calling and why for legitimate businesses.
4. On Samsung devices, consider enabling 'Smart call' by going to Phone → More options (three dots) → Settings → Call display and spam protection. This feature helps identify unknown callers and block spam.