How can an app on your phone spot a scam chat before you send money?

Singapore’s GovTech launched an open beta of AntiScam Pango, an Android app using on-device AI built with Google DeepMind to flag scam chats on WhatsApp, Telegram and SMS. How it works, and five habits that protect you anywhere.

A friendly WhatsApp chat turns into a ‘great investment’ that needs a $200 registration fee right now. Short answer: yes — an app can now warn you mid-conversation. Singapore’s Government Technology Agency (GovTech) launched an open beta on November 4, 2026 of AntiScam Pango, an Android app that uses on-device AI to read message notifications and flag chats that start looking like scams, before any money moves.Why it matters: GovTech built the app with Google DeepMind, using Google’s lightweight Gemma model fine-tuned on real and synthetic Singapore scam messages.

Because the AI runs on the phone itself, it can watch WhatsApp, Telegram and SMS — which is also why it is Android-only for now. It never blocks or deletes a message; it flags the risk and leaves the decision to you, exactly as in GovTech’s own sample, where a friendly chat that turned into an investment pitch with a fee demand was flagged as a probable investment scam, with advice not to send money. That timing matters: the Singapore Police Force says messaging apps were the most common way scammers reached victims in the first half of 2026 — 27.6% of cases — and most victims were talked into sending the money themselves.Five habits that protect you anywhere:1.

Slow down when a chat turns to money, fees or urgency — pressure is the scammer’s favourite tool.2. Verify the person through a separate channel you already trust: call a number you already have, and never use contact details given inside the suspicious chat.3. Never pay a ‘registration fee’ to unlock an investment, a prize or a job — real money never charges you an entry fee to reach you.4.

Turn on your phone’s built-in scam and call protections, and keep your messaging apps updated.5. If you have already sent money, contact your bank immediately — acting within minutes gives you the best chance of stopping the transfer.Pro tip: A polite, well-written chat is not proof of anything. AI now helps scammers write perfect messages, so judge the request — money plus hurry — not the spelling.Ad’s take: A warning that pops up in the moment, right there on your phone, is worth more than any lecture after the money is gone.

But your own pause is still the best protection ever built — use it every time.