‘$980 Million Annual Losses’—Google Confirms Android Call Changes

InnovationCybersecurity‘$980 Million Annual Losses’—Google Confirms Android Call ChangesByDavey Winder,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Davey Winder is a veteran cybersecurity writer, hacker and analyst.Follow AuthorMay 13, 2026, 09:31am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Google confirms 2026 Android security changes.SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesAs AI-powered attack campaigns continue to flood our inboxes, with smartphone users directly in the threat actors’ crosshairs, Google has responded by strengthening Android’s security protections, many of which, ironically, also have AI under the hood. With hackers changing caller IDs to spoof bank phone numbers or other trusted organizations, Google’s director of Android security and privacy, Eugene Liderman, has called out the threat as one of the main drivers of social engineering scams and financial frauds, which Europol has confirmed are behind a staggering $980 million in worldwide annual losses. “As we look ahead at the rest of 2026, Liderman said, “our focus is on scaling these intelligent defenses to be even more seamless and powerful.” Here’s what Google is doing to help protect billions of Android users from the threat.Forbes‘Significant Threat’—Billions Of Gmail Users At Risk From Google Security GaffeBy Davey WinderGoogle Strengthens Android Caller ID Spoofing Protections For 2026Users of Google’s Android ecosystem might be forgiven for thinking that it’s all bad news on the security front right now. After all, just this week, I have reported on seven million users being conned by “any phone number call history” apps in the Play Store, as well as exclusivity-revealing research that a Google security gaffe is leaving billions of Gmail users at risk of phishing threats. And social engineering, oh the irony, is exactly what Liderman’s latest security update is abo...