Starling Bank has introduced an in-app call indicator designed to protect customers from bank impersonation scams.
The ‘call status indicators’ are visible on both the home screen and the payment screen, instantly informing customers if they are receiving a genuine call from Starling at that moment. These indicators also reveal whether Starling has ever called them or provide information about the last time the bank contacted them.
When a user 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].”
Although 84% of UK adults are aware of bank impersonation scams, these schemes are responsible for approximately £78.9 million in losses annually.
Sarah Lenette, a financial crime specialist at Starling Bank, stated, “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.”