Commonwealth Bank’s new AI tech fights $107 million scam threat

Australians have long been the target of cunning scammers, with more than $107 million lost to phone scams last year alone. 

But now, the Commonwealth Bank (CBA) is fighting back with a bold, high-tech strategy that could turn the tables on cybercriminals—unlike anything we’ve seen before in Australian banking. 

In a move that’s part James Bond, part Crocodile Dundee, CBA has teamed up with cyber intelligence firm Apate.ai to unleash thousands of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered bots designed to sound like everyday Australians. 

These bots aren’t just for show—they’re on a mission to lure scammers into wasting their time and, crucially, to gather intelligence on how these criminals operate.

While the bank keeps the finer details under wraps (for obvious reasons), we know the system is based on a ‘honeypot’ strategy. 

This means CBA has created a vast and ever-growing network of phone numbers deliberately left out in the open, waiting to be discovered and targeted by scammers. 

When a scammer dials one of these numbers, they’re greeted by a bot that can chat, banter, and even throw in a bit of Australian slang for good measure.

James Roberts, CBA’s general manager of group fraud, said this new approach is a ‘game-changer’ in the fight against financial crime. 

‘Scammers are increasingly using AI to target Australians—we’re turning the tables by using AI to fight back,’ he explained. 

‘Every minute a scammer is engaging with a bot is a minute they’re not targeting an Australian. The near real-time intelligence being gathered is a game-changer in how we help to protect our customers and the broader community.’

It’s a clever twist: instead of playing defence, CBA is going on the offensive, wasting scammers’ time and collecting valuable data on their tactics. 

The bots are programmed to engage scammers in long, winding conversations, all while sounding convincingly human. This frustrates the criminals and gives the bank a treasure trove of information about the latest scam techniques.

Bots with personality—and a dash of Australian humour

What makes these bots so effective? According to Dali Kaafar, chief executive officer of Apate.ai, it’s all about realism. 

‘We’ve designed our bots to be difficult to detect by scammers, making them incredibly effective at gathering intelligence and disrupting scam operations,’ he said. 

‘The bots are uniquely crafted with diverse identities—varying in gender, age, tone, and cultural nuance—and fine-tuned with Australian slang and humour to improve realism.’

So, if a scammer tries to convince ‘Shazza from Sydney’ or ‘Bruce from Brisbane’ that their bank account has been compromised, they might find themselves tangled in a conversation about the footy, the weather, or the best place to get a meat pie. All the while, the bot is collecting data and keeping the scammer occupied.

It’s not just phone calls that are getting the AI treatment. CBA’s technology will also be deployed to tackle text-based scams, the second-biggest source of financial losses after phone scams. 

The bots can handle hundreds of thousands of calls and messages, making it much harder for scammers to operate undetected.

This initiative builds on a successful pilot program run by Macquarie University last year, which proved the concept could work at scale. 

Now, with CBA’s resources behind it, the hope is that these bots will help uncover new scam techniques before they can be used to target real customers.

Phone and text scams remain the most lucrative channels for criminals, outpacing even social media, email, and old-fashioned door-to-door cons. 

By proactively engaging scammers and learning from their tactics, CBA aims to stay one step ahead—and keep your money safe.

But while this technology is a giant leap forward, it’s still important to stay vigilant. Remember: your bank will never ask for your password or PIN over the phone; if something feels off, it probably is. 

What do you think of CBA’s new AI-powered scam-fighting bots? Have you or someone you know been targeted by a phone or text scam? Do you think this technology will make a difference, or is there more that banks and authorities should be doing? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

Also read: Commonwealth Bank tips back-to-back rate cuts as inflation falls