Metro Bank is using technology from AI firm Ask Silver to enable customers to instantly check whether they are at risk of a scam by spotting fraudulent communications.
Using their phone or tablet, Metro Bank customers need only take a photo or screenshot of any email, website, letter or leaflet they are suspicious about and using the Metro Bank Scam Checker send it via WhatsApp. Ask Silver will then use AI to spot if the communication is fraudulent and provide suggestions for next steps on staying safe.
“This new partnership with Ask Silver is a game changer in protecting customers from fraud and helping to stop crime,” explains Baz Thompson, head of fraud, Metro Bank. “Criminals often play on urgency and speed to trick people into parting ways with their hard-earned cash. Being able to offer a service where customers can know in minutes whether something is fraudulent provides an essential barrier to staying one step ahead of fraudsters.”
Metro Bank customers will be able to use the service for free, receiving a scam alert on their mobile phone if communication is found to be fraudulent. Ask Silver will also automatically report it to the correct authorities on the customer’s behalf.
Ask Silver was founded by friends Alex Somervell and Jonny Pryn after a close family member was scammed out of their life savings of £150,000.
Says Somervell: “We’re building the most human-focussed anti-scam company and partnering with customer-focused financial institutions like Metro Bank is core to that. We want work together with banks, public institutions and the public to keep our loved ones safe, as well as their hard-earned money.”