Commonwealth Bank’s bold new crackdown could protect your money
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Scams are everywhere these days, and unfortunately, Aussies—especially those of us over 60—are often prime targets.
Whether it’s a dodgy text claiming to be from your bank, a suspicious email from 'myGov', or a phone call from someone pretending to be the ATO, it can be hard to know what’s real and what’s a trap.
The numbers are staggering: in just the first half of 2024, nearly 58,000 scam text messages were reported, and losses from scam calls have soared to a whopping $9.5 million so far this year.
But there’s some good news on the horizon. Commonwealth Bank (CBA) has just launched an Australian-first tool designed to help people like you and me spot scams before they do any damage.
It’s called Scam Checker, and it’s powered by some pretty clever artificial intelligence (AI).
Scammers are getting smarter. They can make their messages look almost identical to the real thing, sometimes even sneaking their dodgy texts into the same conversation thread as genuine messages from your bank or Centrelink.
That’s enough to make anyone second-guess themselves!
CBA’s new Scam Checker, available through the Truyu app (developed by CBA’s digital arm, x15ventures), is here to help. If you receive a suspicious text, you simply take a screenshot and upload it to the app.
The AI then gets to work, analysing the message and any links in seconds. It uses a combination of generative AI and CBA’s own scam intelligence to figure out if the message is legit or a scammer’s latest trick.
And here’s a bonus: by uploading your suspicious messages, you’re not just protecting yourself—you’re helping build a database that can protect others, too.
Melanie Hayden, Truyu’s managing director, says, ‘When you upload a suspicious text to Scam Checker, you’re not just protecting yourself. You’re also helping keep others safe by sharing valuable information that can be used to help protect them too.’
We know that scammers often target older Australians, sometimes because we’re more likely to answer the phone or respond to texts, and sometimes because we’re more trusting of official-looking messages.
And with so many services—banking, government, even shopping—moving online, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
Scammers are also getting sneakier. They can impersonate not just banks, but also Centrelink, the ATO, telcos, internet providers, and myGov.
Sometimes, their messages are so convincing that even the most tech-savvy among us can be fooled.
That’s why tools like Scam Checker are so valuable. They give you a quick, easy way to double-check before you click, reply, or hand over any personal information.
Scam Checker isn’t the only trick up Truyu’s sleeve. The app also helps you keep tabs on your personal and banking information.
If your name, date of birth, passport, or driver’s licence details are being used by thousands of retailers and vendors across the country, Truyu will alert you if your information has been exposed in a data breach.
That’s peace of mind in a world where data leaks seem to happen every other week!
Have you ever received a scam text or call that looked almost real? Have you used any tools or apps to check if something was a scam? Let us know in the comments below.
Read more: Australia Post issues urgent scam alert every Aussie must know
Whether it’s a dodgy text claiming to be from your bank, a suspicious email from 'myGov', or a phone call from someone pretending to be the ATO, it can be hard to know what’s real and what’s a trap.
The numbers are staggering: in just the first half of 2024, nearly 58,000 scam text messages were reported, and losses from scam calls have soared to a whopping $9.5 million so far this year.
But there’s some good news on the horizon. Commonwealth Bank (CBA) has just launched an Australian-first tool designed to help people like you and me spot scams before they do any damage.
It’s called Scam Checker, and it’s powered by some pretty clever artificial intelligence (AI).
Commonwealth Bank has introduced an Australian-first Scam Checker tool in its Truyu app, letting users upload screenshots of suspicious texts to check for scams. Credit: Facebook
Scammers are getting smarter. They can make their messages look almost identical to the real thing, sometimes even sneaking their dodgy texts into the same conversation thread as genuine messages from your bank or Centrelink.
That’s enough to make anyone second-guess themselves!
CBA’s new Scam Checker, available through the Truyu app (developed by CBA’s digital arm, x15ventures), is here to help. If you receive a suspicious text, you simply take a screenshot and upload it to the app.
The AI then gets to work, analysing the message and any links in seconds. It uses a combination of generative AI and CBA’s own scam intelligence to figure out if the message is legit or a scammer’s latest trick.
And here’s a bonus: by uploading your suspicious messages, you’re not just protecting yourself—you’re helping build a database that can protect others, too.
Melanie Hayden, Truyu’s managing director, says, ‘When you upload a suspicious text to Scam Checker, you’re not just protecting yourself. You’re also helping keep others safe by sharing valuable information that can be used to help protect them too.’
We know that scammers often target older Australians, sometimes because we’re more likely to answer the phone or respond to texts, and sometimes because we’re more trusting of official-looking messages.
And with so many services—banking, government, even shopping—moving online, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
Sometimes, their messages are so convincing that even the most tech-savvy among us can be fooled.
That’s why tools like Scam Checker are so valuable. They give you a quick, easy way to double-check before you click, reply, or hand over any personal information.
Scam Checker isn’t the only trick up Truyu’s sleeve. The app also helps you keep tabs on your personal and banking information.
If your name, date of birth, passport, or driver’s licence details are being used by thousands of retailers and vendors across the country, Truyu will alert you if your information has been exposed in a data breach.
That’s peace of mind in a world where data leaks seem to happen every other week!
Read more: Australia Post issues urgent scam alert every Aussie must know
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ipad etc because I don’t do that . It was almost like she was in Telstra office , When I do get 
from unknown number . I tell them you must have wrong address and cut them off.
