Commonwealth Bank has partnered with Apate.ai, a Sydney-based cyber-intelligence company spun out of Macquarie University’s Cyber Security Hub, to harness real-time AI-powered intelligence in the fight against scams.
The initiative comes as Australians lost nearly $119 million to scams in the first four months of 2025, despite a drop in overall reports, according to Scamwatch. Financial losses rose 28% from early 2024, underscoring the need for faster, tech-enabled defences.
CommBank’s new strategy involves thousands of conversational AI bots created by Apate.ai, a spin-out from Macquarie University.
These bots engage scammers in extended conversations – via voice and text – to collect intelligence and disrupt scam networks.
“This is about flipping the script,” said James Roberts (pictured right), CommBank’s general manager of group fraud.
“Scammers are increasingly using AI to target Australians – we’re turning the tables by using AI to fight back. 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.”
Apate.ai’s “honeypot” system uses dedicated telephone numbers designed to be discovered by scammers. Once contacted, the bots respond with lifelike dialogue designed to keep scammers engaged while gathering actionable data.
“We’re on a mission to dismantle the business models of scammers around the world,” said Professor Dali Kaafar (pictured left), CEO and founder of Apate.ai.
“Our bots share near real-time intelligence to our partners like CommBank to fight scams, helping to shield consumers and businesses and making it harder for scammers to operate.
“Our system is based on a ‘honeypot’ strategy. When a scammer dials or messages one of these numbers, they actually engage in conversations with one of our AI-powered bots and not a person.”
The data gathered from scammer interactions feeds directly into CommBank’s scam control systems, allowing for timely updates to detection tools and improved response mechanisms.
“While we don’t share specific methods, this collaboration strengthens our ability to respond quickly and effectively to evolving threats,” Roberts said.
Kaafar added: “This collaboration demonstrates how AI can be used for safety and security.”
He explained the bots are uniquely designed for realism.
“We’ve designed our bots to be difficult to detect by scammers... fine-tuned with Australian slang and humour to improve realism,” Kaafar said.
Following a successful pilot program in late 2024, the project has grown in scale and sophistication.
According to Roberts, it’s already diverted hundreds of thousands of scam calls and enabled near real-time alerts to protect CommBank customers.
“This AI-powered intelligence loop helps us identify emerging threats and continuously improve our nation’s defences,” he said.
“In the fight against scams, timing is everything,” Kaafar said. “Our intelligence gives organisations like CBA the edge, not just to detect scams, but to anticipate and block it before it reaches customers.”
CommBank’s initiative is part of a wider effort to combat fraud through industry-wide collaboration with telcos, tech companies, and government agencies.
“At CommBank, we’re focused on investing in innovative technologies to help combat scams and strengthen Australia’s broader anti-scam ecosystem,” Roberts said. “Our initiatives focus on enhancing cybersecurity, raising public awareness, and collaborating with industry leaders to build a safer digital environment for all Australians.
“We know no single organisation or sector can solve this alone. That’s why it is so important to collaborate across sectors to disrupt scam operations at scale.”
