Westpac has partnered with telecommunications company Optus to launch a new verified in-app calling feature aimed at combating bank impersonation scams. The initiative, known as Westpac SafeCall, enables customers to receive calls that are branded as Westpac, verified by Optus, and include a reason for the call. This system is designed to provide customers with greater assurance about the legitimacy of the calls amid a growing number of bank impersonation scams.
Peter King, Westpac’s chief executive officer, stated, “We’re continuing to invest in scam prevention and detection measures and are currently detecting 69 percent of all scam cases. Westpac SafeCall will help us reduce bank impersonation scams and make Australia an even harder target for scammers.”
The branded calling solution is powered by Vonage, a cloud communication subsidiary of Ericsson. The SafeCall feature will be gradually rolled out to Westpac customers over the coming months.
In a similar effort, UK neobank Monzo introduced a ‘status call’ feature last year, which assists customers in identifying whether they are receiving a call from genuine bank staff or a fraudster.