Apate.ai and CommBank: Revolutionising AI-Driven Scam Disruption in Australia

We are proud to announce a landmark collaboration with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, leveraging our cutting-edge AI technology to set a new standard for scam prevention and intelligence gathering in the financial sector.

The Alarming Rise of Phone and Text Scams in Australia

According to data from the National Anti-Scams Centre, phone scams were responsible for the highest financial losses overall and most likely led to significant individual losses in 2024.

Text messages followed closely as the second most common channel exploited by scammers. Notably, investment scams were the leading cause of financial harm via SMS, underscoring the growing sophistication and scale of digital fraud.

These trends point out the need for proactive, AI-powered solutions like Apate.ai to disrupt scam networks and protect Australians at scale.

The Power of AI Against Scams

Scammers are increasingly using sophisticated AI tools to target Australians. In response, Apate.ai and CommBank have joined forces to flip the script. As James Roberts, CommBank’s General Manager of Group Fraud, stated:

“Scammers are increasingly using AI to target Australians – we’re turning the tables by using AI to fight back. Every minute a scammer is engaging with a bot is a minute they're not targeting an Australian.”

Apate.ai bots operate through voice and text channels, are crafted with diverse identities—varying in gender, age, tone, and cultural nuances—and are finely tuned with Australian slang and humour, which makes them difficult to detect but highly effective at gathering intelligence.

The intelligence extracted from these interactions is shared in near real-time with CommBank, enhancing their scam detection capabilities and supporting coordinated efforts across the industry to disrupt scam operations. This collaboration illustrates the value of cross-sector partnerships in strengthening Australia's cybersecurity landscape.

“This AI-powered intelligence loop helps us identify emerging threats and continuously improve our nation’s defences,” Mr Roberts said.

“In the fight against scams, timing is everything. Our intelligence gives organisations like CBA the edge, not just to detect scams, but to anticipate and block it before it reaches customers,” said Professor Kaafar.

A United Front Against Scams

This initiative is part of a broader effort involving telecommunications providers, financial institutions, and government entities to share intelligence and combat fraudulent activities across Australia. By collecting and combining data from various sectors, we aim to build a robust defence against scams and create a safer digital environment for everyone.

As Professor Dali Kaafar, CEO and Founder of Apate.ai, emphasised:

“Our bots share near real-time intelligence to our partners like CommBank to fight scams, helping to shield consumers and businesses and making it harder for scammers to operate.”