Apate Deploys AI Agents Undercover to Gather Scam Intelligence
· Technology · TechCrunch
Australian startup Apate.ai deploys thousands of AI agents that masquerade as potential victims to answer scam calls, follow phishing links, and join social media groups. Founded in 2024 following research at Macquarie University in Sydney, the company aims to bait fraudsters and keep them engaged to learn useful intelligence. The company's fleet of agents has wasted 17 years of scammers' time across 2.5 million conversations to date. The AI agents work to extract bank accounts, crypto wallets, phone numbers, malicious websites, and impersonated brands from fraudsters. Apate feeds this collected intelligence to its customer base of banks, telecom companies, government agencies, and utilities to inform their anti-fraud measures.
Why it matters
Financial institutions, telecom operators, and government agencies gain actionable intelligence on active fraud networks, helping them block malicious infrastructure and protect consumers from AI-driven scams.
Read the original report — TechCrunch
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