Starling Bank has introduced a new AI-powered tool, Scam Intelligence, designed to help online shoppers identify potential fraud on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Vinted, and Etsy. The tool allows customers to upload images of items or advertisements, which it analyses for scam indicators, providing personalised advice within seconds.
UK Fraud Minister Lord Hanson praised the initiative, calling it a “brilliant example of how industry can deploy AI to stay ahead of fraudsters”. The tool, built using Google's Gemini AI chatbot in collaboration with Google Cloud, was unveiled at a fintech event in Las Vegas on Monday.
During testing, Scam Intelligence increased the rate at which customers cancelled payments by 300%, suggesting it encourages users to pause and reconsider purchases. The launch follows official figures showing that losses to purchase scams have reached their highest level since UK Finance began collecting data in 2020.
Scam Intelligence can flag risks such as prices that seem too good to be true, low-quality or generic photos, mismatched bank account details, or sellers refusing to use secure payment features. It also detects pressure tactics, such as requests to transfer money before seeing an item in person.
Harriet Rees, Starling's chief information officer, said the tool helps customers “be their own detective and investigator”. The bank expects it to identify up to 90% of scam indicators in an image. Customers must opt in to use the feature, which is the first of its kind offered by a UK bank.
