July 24, 2024
Google’s Gemini Nano Uses AI to Combat Scam Calls
A TransNexus report revealed telecom fraud increased by $70 million between Q1 2021 and Q1 2024.1 As AI evolves, Google plans to use Gemini Nano to combat scam calls. Consumers are wary of unknown calls, and businesses are having a harder time getting interested leads on the phone. Cleaning up the telecom ecosystem could benefit consumers and businesses alike.
Google Announces Gemini Nano Scam Detection Technology
At the recent I/O 2024 event, Google announced that it’s working on AI scam detection technology, Gemini Nano, to help protect Android users from fraudulent calls. Telecom fraud is a big business, scamming millions of dollars from Americans every year.
Google’s family of artificial intelligence programs, Gemini, is the foundation of this feature for Android phones. To help combat fraudulent calls, Gemini Nano plans to warn consumers when they’re talking to potential scammers.
Gemini Nano Analyzes Calls in Real Time
The Gemini Nano scam detection feature analyzes calls for suspicious behavior. If suspicious language is detected, it alerts the user that the call may be fraudulent. This new technology scans conversations in real time, looking for typical red flags associated with telephone scams. When a potential fraudulent call is discovered, Gemini Nano will send a real-time, in-call alert to consumers.
An example alert:
A bank customer gets a call “from their bank” requesting that the customer:
- Update their PIN
- Change their login password
- Make a payment with a gift card
- Make an urgent money transfer
Google stated at its I/O 2024 event that Gemini Nano will run locally, with all scans occurring on-device—a built-in protection they say is to help maintain consumer privacy.
That’s beneficial because bad actors are a serious threat. Real-time threat detection and subsequent alerts could be game-changing for the telecom industry, so there’s enormous potential here.
However, consumers have lost confidence in Google and other tech giants in recent years. There’s a lot of promise here to turn the tables on scammers, and Google’s announcement should offer peace of mind. However, the tech giant needs to instill more faith by proving Gemini Nano is indeed secure itself—starting with exactly how it works.
How Will This Affect Business Calls?
Today’s businesses are most affected by dialing practices and agent/consumer interactions, given that consumers now have the ability to report calls as spam or likely scams. The introduction of Gemini Nano won’t affect most businesses unless they engage in suspicious activities.
Gemini Nano is currently available on:
- Google Pixel 8 Pro
- Google Pixel 8
- Google Pixel 8a
- Samsung S24 (all devices in the series)
So, at the moment, a relatively small number of consumers have access to Gemini Nano.
However, businesses should work to curb aggressive sales tactics, call scripts that could be seen as suspicious, and otherwise informal or problematic behaviors.
Dialing With Integrity
Consumers are more wary now than ever. Any phone call—even if the number is saved to their device—becomes suspect the moment it seems even remotely “off” in some sense. It’s important to hold call center agents and other employees who contact customers to high standards because even one misstep can hurt your business’s reputation.
1. Register Your Phone Numbers
Registering your phone numbers with a CNAM directory and signing up for enhanced caller ID services means caller ID screens will identify your business, provide an air of authority, and potentially increase your answer rate.
2. Clean Dialing Lists Regularly
How accurate is your current lead list? If it contains inaccuracies, your agents might call people who’ve asked to be removed from your list. Call list integrity is one of the most important qualities of ethical dialing practices.
Since the FCC closed the lead generation loophole, purchasing lead lists is no longer viable. Call center managers should scrub lead lists against the DNC, Reassigned Numbers Database, and any internal opt-out lists.
3. Use the Reassigned Numbers Database (RND)
Remove any bad numbers and scrub your lists for duplicate numbers to save your agents’ time and protect your brand’s reputation.
It’s also important to scrub your leads using the Reassigned Numbers Database (RND). The RND monitors phone numbers that have been reassigned to new consumers so you can make sure your leads’ phone numbers are up to date.
4. Train Agents Appropriately
Your call representatives are the face of your business, so you must train them to use emotional intelligence when speaking with customers and leads. Agents should display empathy and compassion when conversing with consumers. These conversations are the foundation of your reputation.
You can foster these qualities by providing your agents with the tools they need to succeed, including call scripts based on call outcomes. If a consumer isn’t interested or is otherwise upset, agents must pick up on this and know how to end the call appropriately and ethically. Falling short of this expectation could mean your numbers get flagged and your brand faces public criticism.
5. Monitor Your Outbound Numbers Regularly
Monitoring your outbound numbers ensures customers and new leads answer your calls. Consumers are unlikely to answer calls from flagged or unknown numbers, so maintaining an accurate caller ID is essential to conducting successful outbound dialing campaigns.
Phone number monitoring can indicate if your outbound numbers are receiving excessive flags. This, in turn, could indicate issues with your company’s dialing behavior that need to be addressed.
If you’re ready to keep tabs on your business’s phone numbers and overall reputation, reach out to Caller ID Reputation today to see how our business caller ID solutions can help.
