SINGAPORE: Two new Android anti-scam features designed to combat mobile scams will be piloted in Singapore, Google announced on Wednesday (Oct 16).
Users will be able to block messages from unknown international numbers on Google Messages, and they will not be able to disable Google Play Protect during calls.
The features will be rolled out to Android devices in Singapore in the next few months.
BLOCKING MESSAGESAndroid users will soon be able to opt-in to a feature to block SMS messages from unknown international numbers.
"In Singapore, text/SMS is among the most common ways scammers contact victims, with more than 700 reported SMS scam cases in the first half of 2024, most of which were a result of scammers operating from overseas," Google said.
Android users will be able to enable this feature under the Protection and Safety settings in Messages.
The blocking message feature was made in partnership with the Singapore Police Force and Infocomm Media Development Authority.
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Singapore Android users to be blocked from installing certain unverified apps as part of anti-scam trial 
Android users in Singapore tried to install unverified apps nearly 900,000 times in past 6 months DISABLING GOOGLE PLAY PROTECTGoogle Play Protect will also no longer be able to be disabled during active audio and voice calls.
"Scammers often try to trick victims into disabling GPP during calls to bypass security measures and install malicious apps," said Google.
"This safeguard helps protect users from falling victim to this common scam tactic."
More than S$34 million (US$26 million) was lost to malware scams in 2023, with about 1,900 cases reported.
Earlier this year, Google rolled out a new security feature that automatically blocked Android users in Singapore from installing apps from unverified sources.
When users try to install a potentially risky app from sources such as web browsers or messaging platforms, the security feature will automatically block the app if it demands suspicious permissions such as access to restricted data like SMSes and phone notifications.
Director of Android security strategy Eugene Liderman said: "We've made significant strides in protecting people from scams, and we will continue introducing new features and mitigations to stay ahead of bad actors as they continuously evolve their tactics.
"These two new features empower users to defend themselves and are critical steps in our ongoing commitment to enhancing security in the mobile ecosystem."7bet gaming or sevenbet