- Brand Impersonation Protection is the latest call scanning tool coming to Microsoft Teams
- Teams already scans URLs and executables to identify potential attacks
- Microsoft says it is committed to tackling social engineering
Microsoft Teams is adding new fraud prevention features to try to tackle social engineering scams by flagging external callers who pretend to be trusted organizations – also known as brand spoofing.
An official Microsoft Message Center update confirms that the change is on its way to rollout, and a separate roadmap entry from January 8, 2026 details what’s new.
“Identify if an external user is impersonating a brand commonly targeted by phishing attacks during their first contact with a business user via Teams call,” the post summarizes.
Microsoft Teams will warn you about impersonation calls
The feature works by scanning first-time external calls for signs of impersonation. Alerts are displayed to Microsoft Teams users if calls are perceived as suspicious. Users can then choose to accept, block or end flagged calls.
Desktop versions of Teams, including Mac, will be the first to get the update, which is on target for general availability in February 2026.
“This helps reduce social engineering risks and improves tenant safety when users receive first-contact external calls,” the company wrote in a status update.
Microsoft has already been busy rolling out other features to its video conferencing app to prevent potential attacks. In September 2025, Malicious URL Protection hit general availability and scanned links shared in chats and channels for malicious intent.
That same month, Microsoft also began pushing its Weaponizable File Type Protection tool, which scans executable files in chats and channels to further protect users.
Speaking of impersonation protection, Microsoft reiterated its commitment to “caller identity protection and secure collaboration.”
Looking ahead, the Microsoft 365 roadmap has already laid out plans for additional security updates, including support for suspicious call reporting, which is expected to arrive around March 2026.
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