Westpac has introduced a new AI-powered call assistant aimed at tackling scams as they happen.  

Currently in pilot with the bank’s specialist scam and fraud team, the tool is designed to identify signs of a scam during live customer calls and support operators in responding swiftly and consistently. 

The clever tech can detect indications the customer may be about to transfer money to a scam, based on their phone conversation with the bank. It can even detect whether a customer is being coached, or told what to say, by a scammer in the background. 

“Our customer service specialists are often trying to solve complex puzzles with many missing pieces,” says Westpac CEO Anthony Miller. “This AI tool is helping fill some of those gaps and is aiding our teams in real-time so they can more effectively respond,” he says. 

Early results show the AI tool is already making a difference - enabling faster scam detection and improving the quality of customer interactions. Operators involved in the pilot report feeling more equipped to handle high-pressure situations with clarity and care. 

The assistant is being developed through Westpac’s broader ‘AI Accelerator’ program, which is focused on embedding intelligent automation across the bank.  

Over the past two years, Westpac has invested more than $100 million in scam prevention, saving customers over $500 million. 

Now, the new AI assistant joins a growing suite of digital security tools, including: 

• Westpac SafeBlock – lets customers instantly freeze accounts. 
• Westpac SafeCall – delivers verified calls through the app to prevent spoofing. 
• Westpac SaferPay – prompts customers with questions before high-risk payments. 
• Westpac Verify – flags mismatched account names during transfers. 
• Dynamic CVC – rotates digital card security codes every 24 hours. 
• Cryptocurrency and merchant blocks – targets high-risk transactions. 
• Call spoofing prevention – with 94,000 numbers blocked from impersonation so far. 
• Inbound payment detection – scans incoming funds for scam signals. 
• Behavioural analytics – helps identify remote access scams. 

While still in its early stages, the AI assistant is already reshaping how Westpac approaches fraud prevention.  

It reflects a broader shift in banking - from reacting to scams after the fact to proactively anticipating and intercepting them in real time.