Gmail users are now better protected from spam thanks to AI, which is especially useful during the holiday season. During this time, a lot of money changes hands not only for gifts and festivities but also for cybercriminals trying to take advantage of the upcoming holidays.
There is a noticeable increase in email traffic during this season, which includes a lot of spam and fraudulent messages. To combat this, Google has ramped up its security measures. New AI models help prevent many scam attempts from reaching potential victims.
Google reports that Gmail users are expected to receive 35% fewer spam and scam emails this holiday season compared to the previous year. This improvement is attributed to the AI defenses that Google has integrated into its mail service over the year.
Thanks to new large language models, Google can now identify 20% more spam and scan 1,000 times more messages for fraud attempts reported by users as potential threats.
Google’s AI models have been trained with malware and phishing emails, enabling them to identify common patterns and warning signs, successfully filtering them out.
According to Google, there are three common types of scams during the holiday season:
- Invoice Scams: Scammers pretend to send an invoice on behalf of a company, hoping the unsuspecting victim will pay the requested amount.
- Celebrity Scams: Criminals impersonate a famous or influential person, claiming they need the victim’s money, often promising a larger reward in return. Victims never see their reward or their advance payment again.
- Extortion Scams: Victims are threatened and intimidated to hand over money. Scammers may claim to possess personal data or secretly recorded intimate videos, threatening to release them unless paid. Usually, the scammers have no real leverage.
Google recommends four measures to protect against these scams:
- Take it slow: During the holiday season, take a moment to pause. Don’t react impulsively to unusual messages. Ask yourself if it could be true. Scammers often create a sense of urgency in their emails, which is a warning sign. Legitimate companies rarely contact you urgently via email alone.
- Research: There are always clues in spam emails to verify. Is the sender’s email address legitimate? Does the content make sense? What does a Google search say about the email’s content? Have others received the same message?
- Stop! Don’t send anything: No reputable company demands immediate payments or personal data on the spot.
- Report: Always report suspicious emails to your email provider. They can verify the email’s legitimacy and protect others from similar messages.
Ultimately, common sense is still the best protection against scams, even better than any AI. By staying vigilant, you can safely enjoy the holiday season without falling victim to scams.