A new artificial intelligence feature designed to help shoppers identify online scams has drawn praise from the UK’s minister for fraud.
The tool, called Scam Intelligence, allows customers of Starling Bank to upload listings and images from online marketplaces such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, and Vinted. It then analyzes the content for potential red flags and offers tailored guidance on whether a deal might be fraudulent.
Fraud minister Lord Hanson described the innovation as a powerful example of how technology can help protect consumers. Starling developed the system using Google’s Gemini AI in partnership with Google Cloud, and it was officially presented at a fintech conference in Las Vegas earlier this week.
According to Starling, trials of the system led to a 300 percent jump in the number of customers cancelling payments before completing potentially fraudulent purchases.
The rollout follows recent data from UK Finance, which reported that financial losses from purchase scams have reached record levels since 2020. The scams typically involve people paying upfront for goods or services that never arrive or never existed, including cars, concert tickets, and electronics.
Criminals typically lure victims through social media ads or online marketplaces, according to the trade body.
Scam Intelligence works by analyzing uploaded screenshots, photos, and text conversations. For example, if a buyer is interested in a bicycle on Facebook Marketplace, the tool can highlight suspicious details, such as unusually low prices, poor-quality or stock images, or mismatched bank details.
A buyer on eBay might be warned if a seller refuses to use secure payment options. The system can also flag messages that pressure buyers to send money quickly—a common tactic used by scammers.
According to Starling’s Chief Information Officer, Harriet Rees, the goal is to give people the tools to spot scams themselves and make smarter choices before sending money. The bank estimates that the system can identify up to 90 percent of visual scam indicators in a photo.
Early tests show it has been used most frequently for smaller online purchases such as event tickets and sneakers.
Most users during testing employed Scam Intelligence for smaller purchases such as trainers and event tickets. The bank said it is the first UK financial institution to integrate an AI-driven scam detection service directly into its mobile app.
Starling noted that participation is voluntary; customers can choose to enable Scam Intelligence within the bank’s app.
As more advanced technologies are commercialized by entities like D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS), more sophisticated anti-scam tools are likely to become available to banks and other client-facing institutions.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/QBTS
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