Google is using AI to help crack down on online search scams by using the “most advanced scam-fighting technology” to combat “scammy pages on the web”.
Google is using AI to help crack down on online search scams.
Bosses at the search engine have declared war on “scammy pages” revealing they are investing in the latest technology using artificial intelligence to stamp out the threat of fraudulent activity such as “spoof sites” and pop-ups which falsely claim devices have been infected with a virus and encourage users to click to download security software.
In Google’s ‘Fighting Scams on Search’ report, the company explains: “Our classifiers utilize machine learning algorithms to identify patterns, anomalies, and linguistic cues indicative of fraudulent activity.
“However, the tactics employed by scammers are constantly shifting and evolving. Staying one step ahead of the scammers requires that we understand emerging threats and proactively develop countermeasures.
“Over the last three years, we’ve launched new AI-powered versions of our anti-scam systems, including updates in 2024 which vastly improved our defenses against scammy results.
“These advancements with AI and large-language models have enhanced our scam-fighting capabilities, enabling us to analyze vast quantities of text and identify subtle linguistic patterns and thematic connections that might indicate coordinated scam campaigns or emerging fraudulent narratives.”
The report also issues advice on how search users can avoid getting caught out by scams, urging them to “Check for lookalike domains”, adding: “Bad actors often use similar-seeming domains to trick people.
“For example, instead of the domain @thisisgoodlink.com a bad actor may use “@thisisagoodlink.support.”
The advice also urges users to “gather insights about the webpage, store or business,” adding: “One way to get more information about an online source is with About this result (the three dots next to a search result), which lets you learn more about sources like an online store before clicking into its page.”
Users are also told to “look for official resources and be wary of unusual formatting.”
The report went on to suggest: “Our Search systems are designed to surface high quality, reliable information. When it comes to something like a customer service number, there’s really only one “official” source of that information.
“Not all businesses have customer service numbers, so if you can’t find one on their website, be mindful before you go digging to find one from another site or service.
“Beware of strange formatting, unusual fonts, or unexpected symbols or emojis, which could indicate a spoof site.”
Google using AI to crack down on search scams
