Starling Launches New In-App Tool to Combat Bank Impersonation

Starling Bank has launched a new tool to help customers identify and protect themselves against bank impersonation scams. The ‘call status indicators’ will instantly let customers know if they’re receiving a genuine call from Starling at that very moment. That way, they will know for sure if a scammer is on the phone, trying to persuade them to make a payment.

The indicators will also indicate if Starling has never called them or will give information on when the bank last called them.

Despite 84% of UK adults being aware of bank impersonation scams, it still accounts for around £78.9 million of losses per year. A bank impersonation scam occurs when a fraudster urges a bank customer to transfer money into a ‘safe account’, usually as a result of a fabricated compromise of their bank account.

Starling Bank has developed a tool to give customers peace of mind and reduce fraud losses. In an industry first move, the call status indicators will be visible on the home screen and within the payment screen – where a customer would be looking if they were being pressured into transferring funds.

When someone opens the Starling app to make a payment, they will see one of the following messages: “We’ve never called you”, “We’re calling you now”, “You’re on a call with Starling”, “We aren’t calling you” or “No recent calls [including information on when we last spoke with you]”.

Sarah Lenette, Financial Crime Specialist at Starling Bank, said: “We’re constantly looking for new ways to stop scammers in their tracks. Bank impersonations are very sophisticated and anyone can become a victim. Call status indicators give our customers confidence to know whether they’re being contacted by a genuine representative of the bank, or a con artist, which is why we’re proud to launch this today.”

Starling Bank recently launched a Safe Phrases campaign to encourage families and friends to create a secret phrase, so they can verify they are talking to the real person in the event of an Artificial Intelligence voice fraud. Call status indicators is part of Starling Banks ongoing work to protect its customers from fraud.

Sarah’s top tips to avoid being scammed by a bank impersonator:

• Your bank will never call you and ask you to transfer money to keep it safe. Additionally, no bank would ever ask for your full card number or PIN.
• If you receive a phone call asking you to transfer money to keep it safe, hang up and call 159. When you call 159, you’ll get through to your bank directly and securely.
• It’s worth noting that scammers can ‘spoof’ phone numbers to make them look like they’re from a legitimate source, so always hang up and dial 159 to be put through to the correct location.
• Starling has never called the majority of its customers. If a caller says they’re from Starling, check the call status indicators on your home or payment screen for confirmation of who you are talking to.