Starling Bank, which has a key office in Cardiff, has launched the UK’s first AI-powered scam detection tool built directly into a banking app. The new feature, named Scam Intelligence, uses generative AI to help customers detect and avoid online scams before they happen.

The feature allows users to upload images and screenshots from online marketplaces and social media platforms. Within seconds, Scam Intelligence analyses the content and provides personalised guidance based on potential fraud indicators.

This marks Starling’s second AI-powered innovation for customers, following the launch of Spending Intelligence in June 2025. Both tools reflect Starling’s ongoing investment in financial security and consumer education through cutting-edge technology.

“With Scam Intelligence, Starling customers can better protect themselves from scams, and learn more about the warning signs too,” said Harriet Rees, Starling Bank’s Welsh Chief Information Officer. “Knowledge is power when it comes to managing and protecting your money, and we believe AI is giving our customers exactly that.”

Scam Intelligence arrives at a time when the UK is facing unprecedented levels of financial fraud. In 2024 alone, scams cost the UK £1.17 billion, with authorised push payment (APP) fraud accounting for £450 million of that total. Starling aims for Scam Intelligence to reduce such fraud by helping customers identify risky transactions before they occur.

The tool was developed using advanced AI models and runs on a secure and scalable cloud platform. Starling’s proprietary risk assessment systems then provide real-time feedback based on the content submitted.

“Fraud is a huge problem for UK consumers, and we believe AI can be a powerful tool to help tackle it,” said Graham Dury, Director, FSI, UK and Ireland. “By working together with Starling, we’re giving customers a new way to spot the signs of a scam.”

In line with Starling’s privacy commitments, customers must opt-in to use the feature, and any data shared remains within Starling’s secure cloud environment.

“We’re on a mission to help our customers be ‘Good with money’, from how they spend it to how they save and protect it. While we work with social media platforms and mobile networks to combat fraud at source, Scam Intelligence is a tool people can use to help protect themselves,” said Catherine Britton, Head of Fraud Risk at Starling Bank.

The tool is now available to all Starling personal, joint, and business account holders across the UK.