iPhone Users Get More Scam Texts Than Android Phone, Google Reveals

Mobile scammers stole over $400 billion from victims worldwide in the past year, but new data shows Android users are experiencing far fewer attacks than their iPhone counterparts. A comprehensive report from Google reveals the sophisticated AI-powered defenses working behind the scenes—and exposes exactly how modern text scams operate.

"Android's scam defenses protect users around the world from over 10 billion suspected malicious calls and messages every month," according to Lyubov Farafonova, product manager with Phone by Google, and her team. 

Google commissioned independent security researchers to compare the effectiveness of Android and iOS in protecting against mobile threats—and the results are eye-opening.

A Google and YouGov survey of 5,000 smartphone users across the U.S., India, and Brazil found Android users were 58% more likely than iOS users to report receiving zero scam texts in the previous week. In contrast, iOS users were 65% more likely to receive three or more scam texts weekly. 

The Pixel advantage was even more dramatic: iPhone users were 150% more likely to say their device was "not effective at all" in stopping mobile fraud.

How Android's AI Stops Scammers

The Counterpoint Research study compared the latest flagship phones from Pixel, Samsung, Motorola, and iPhone across nine protection categories, including scam, phishing, web browsing, app malware, and physical theft protections. Android devices offered AI-powered safeguards in all nine categories, while iPhones hit the mark in just two.

Google Messages utilizes on-device AI to analyze messages from unknown senders for patterns of conversational scams, such as "pig butchering" (a long-con investment fraud), and provides real-time warnings while keeping all processing private on your device. Phone by Google automatically blocks known spam calls and offers Call Screen, which can answer calls on your behalf to identify fraudsters before you even pick up.

Independent security firm Leviathan Security Group evaluated the iPhone 17, Moto Razr+ 2025, Pixel 10 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, finding that Android smartphones—led by the Pixel 10 Pro—provide the highest level of default scam and fraud protection. Google also blocked over 100 million suspicious numbers from using RCS messaging in the past month alone.

Inside the Scam Economy

Google's accompanying report [PDF] reveals the disturbing infrastructure behind modern scams. Scammers operate like sophisticated businesses, relying on a value chain of specialized providers, including target lists from data breaches, bulk SIM cards available for under $2, custom phone farm hardware, and Phishing-as-a-Service platforms that host convincing fake websites.

The timing is strategic too—in the U.S., scam messages peak between 8-10 AM on Monday mornings, when people are busiest and least critical of incoming messages. While direct messages once dominated, group messages now outnumber one-on-one scams by five to one, as scammers include fake participants to make conversations appear legitimate.

Google recommends three essential habits: maintain healthy skepticism of unsolicited messages, never take immediate action on urgent requests, and keep your device updated with the latest security patches. Legitimate businesses and government agencies never demand instant action or payment over text message.

With AI-powered scams becoming increasingly convincing, understanding these threats—and the protections working silently in the background—has never been more critical.