Google continues to be a major magnet for cybercriminal activity. Recent incidents—ranging from increased attacks on Google Calendar users to a Chrome browser–freezing exploit and new password-stealing tools aimed at Android—highlight how frequently attackers target the tech giant’s platforms. In response, Google has released an updated advisory warning users of Gmail, Google Messages, and Google Play about six fast-growing scams, along with the protective measures already built into its ecosystem.
According to Laurie Richardson, Google’s vice president of trust and safety, the rise in scams is both widespread and alarming: “57% of adults experienced a scam in the past year, with 23% reporting money stolen.” She further confirmed that scammers are increasingly leveraging AI tools to “efficiently scale and enhance their schemes.” To counter this trend, Google’s safety teams have issued a comprehensive warning outlining the latest scam patterns and reinforcing how its products help defend against them.
Before diving into the specific scam types, Google recommends trying its security awareness game, inspired by inoculation theory, which helps users strengthen their ability to spot fraudulent behavior.
One of the most notable threats involves the misuse of AI services. Richardson explained that “Cybercriminals are exploiting the widespread enthusiasm for AI tools by using it as a powerful social engineering lure,” setting up “sophisticated scams impersonating popular AI services, promising free or exclusive access to ensnare victims.” These traps often appear as fake apps, malicious websites, or harmful browser extensions promoted through deceptive ads—including cloaked malvertising that hides malicious intent from scanners while presenting dangerous content to real users.
Richardson emphasized Google’s strict rules: “Google prohibits ads that distribute Malicious Software and enforces strict rules on Play and Chrome for apps and extension,” noting that Play Store policies allow proactive removal of apps imitating legitimate AI tools. Meanwhile, Chrome’s AI-powered enhanced Safe Browsing mode adds real-time alerts for risky activity.
Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has also issued its own findings in the new GTIG AI Threat Tracker report. GTIG researchers have seen a steady rise in attackers using AI-powered malware over the past year and have identified new strategies in how they try to bypass safeguards. The group observed threat actors “adopting social engineering-like pretexts in their prompts to bypass AI safety guardrails.”
One striking example involved a fabricated “capture-the-flag” security event designed to manipulate Gemini into revealing restricted information useful for developing exploits or attack tools. In one case, a China-linked threat actor used this CTF method to support “phishing, exploitation, and web shell development.”
Google reiterated its commitment to enforcing its AI policies, stating: “Our policy guidelines and prohibited use policies prioritize safety and responsible use of Google's generative AI tools,” and added that “we continuously enhance safeguards in our products to offer scaled protections to users across the globe.”
Beyond AI-related threats, Google highlighted that online job scams continue to surge. Richardson noted that “These campaigns involve impersonating well-known companies through detailed imitations of official career pages, fake recruiter profiles, and fraudulent government recruitment postings distributed via phishing emails and deceptive advertisements across a range of platforms.”
To help protect users, Google relies on features such as scam detection in Google Messages, Gmail’s automatic filtering for phishing and fraud, and two-factor authentication, which adds an additional security layer for user accounts.
