Aussies lost $107 million to scams—here’s what could stop it from happening to you
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Phone scams have become a frustrating and costly issue for many Australians, especially older residents who are often targeted.
But a new approach from one of the country’s biggest banks is turning the tables in a way that’s never been done before.
What began as a fresh strategy to outsmart scammers has quietly evolved into a bold, tech-driven plan to expose their every move.
Phone scams continued to wreak havoc across Australia, with losses soaring past $107 million last year alone. Now, one of the country’s largest banks has decided enough is enough—and their latest move might just send scammers on a chase they won’t see coming.
Rather than simply warning customers or blocking suspicious calls, the Commonwealth Bank (CBA) quietly partnered with cyber intelligence firm Apate.ai to roll out a new defence tactic unlike anything used by an Australian bank before.
What they launched was an AI-fuelled counterattack—one that mimicked the very people scammers were trying to trick.
Thousands of bots, all powered by artificial intelligence and designed to sound like everyday Aussies, were deployed into the wild.
Their job? To lure scammers in and waste their time—while silently collecting valuable data on how these criminal operations work.
The strategy, CBA admitted, was based on the ‘Honeypot’ model, using a ‘vast and constantly growing’ web of phone numbers meant to be ‘discovered and targeted by scammers’. But the bank kept further details under wraps to ensure cyber criminals couldn’t find ways to sidestep the trap.
James Roberts, CBA’s General Manager of Group Fraud, said the bank’s mission was clear: stall the scammers, and learn from every interaction.
‘Scammers are increasingly using AI to target Australians—we’re turning the tables by using AI to fight back,’ he said.
‘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.’
The technology not only interrupted scams in progress, but also gave CBA new insights into the methods, scripts, and language scammers were using—information that could shape future protections for customers nationwide.
While CBA remained tight-lipped on how the full system operated, the initiative marked a shift in how Australian banks defended against fraud.
Rather than staying reactive, the bank turned proactive—dragging scammers into a digital maze where they thought they were in control…only to find out they weren’t.
This isn’t the first time CommBank’s actions have raised eyebrows—watch what left some customers ‘absolutely disgusted’.
Hit play and share your take.
Source: Youtube/Sky News Australia
With so many scam calls targeting older Australians, do you think more banks should be using this kind of technology to fight back? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
In a previous story, we looked at the sudden account closures faced by long-time Commonwealth Bank customers—a situation that caught many off guard.
For older Aussies who rely on stable banking relationships, unexpected changes like this can be deeply unsettling.
If you’ve had similar experiences or want to understand what’s behind these decisions, it’s worth checking that one out too.
Read more: ‘This was out of the blue’: Loyal bank customers face sudden account closure
But a new approach from one of the country’s biggest banks is turning the tables in a way that’s never been done before.
What began as a fresh strategy to outsmart scammers has quietly evolved into a bold, tech-driven plan to expose their every move.
Phone scams continued to wreak havoc across Australia, with losses soaring past $107 million last year alone. Now, one of the country’s largest banks has decided enough is enough—and their latest move might just send scammers on a chase they won’t see coming.
Rather than simply warning customers or blocking suspicious calls, the Commonwealth Bank (CBA) quietly partnered with cyber intelligence firm Apate.ai to roll out a new defence tactic unlike anything used by an Australian bank before.
What they launched was an AI-fuelled counterattack—one that mimicked the very people scammers were trying to trick.
CommBank launches AI sting to trap scammers. Image source: Commonwealth Bank
Thousands of bots, all powered by artificial intelligence and designed to sound like everyday Aussies, were deployed into the wild.
Their job? To lure scammers in and waste their time—while silently collecting valuable data on how these criminal operations work.
The strategy, CBA admitted, was based on the ‘Honeypot’ model, using a ‘vast and constantly growing’ web of phone numbers meant to be ‘discovered and targeted by scammers’. But the bank kept further details under wraps to ensure cyber criminals couldn’t find ways to sidestep the trap.
James Roberts, CBA’s General Manager of Group Fraud, said the bank’s mission was clear: stall the scammers, and learn from every interaction.
‘Scammers are increasingly using AI to target Australians—we’re turning the tables by using AI to fight back,’ he said.
‘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.’
The technology not only interrupted scams in progress, but also gave CBA new insights into the methods, scripts, and language scammers were using—information that could shape future protections for customers nationwide.
While CBA remained tight-lipped on how the full system operated, the initiative marked a shift in how Australian banks defended against fraud.
Rather than staying reactive, the bank turned proactive—dragging scammers into a digital maze where they thought they were in control…only to find out they weren’t.
This isn’t the first time CommBank’s actions have raised eyebrows—watch what left some customers ‘absolutely disgusted’.
Hit play and share your take.
Source: Youtube/Sky News Australia
With so many scam calls targeting older Australians, do you think more banks should be using this kind of technology to fight back? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
In a previous story, we looked at the sudden account closures faced by long-time Commonwealth Bank customers—a situation that caught many off guard.
For older Aussies who rely on stable banking relationships, unexpected changes like this can be deeply unsettling.
If you’ve had similar experiences or want to understand what’s behind these decisions, it’s worth checking that one out too.
Read more: ‘This was out of the blue’: Loyal bank customers face sudden account closure
