Latest news with #AlexSomervell
Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
WhatsApp number will tell you instantly if you're being scammed
Ask Silver is a free AI-powered scam-checking service that allows you to check any suspected scam attempt through WhatsApp UK households lose billions of pounds to scams every single year - but a new tool could help you detect whether you're being conned. Ask Silver is a free AI-powered scam-checking service that allows you to check any suspected scam attempt through WhatsApp. How it works, is you just send a photo or screenshot of the email or text message you've received to the Ask Silver number. It will then use AI to scan the information and check it against official websites to determine whether it is likely a scam or not. If the details you've flagged are definitely a scam, Ask Silver will respond with a red flag. You can ask Silver to report the scam to relevant agencies on your behalf. You'll be sent an amber flag if there isn't a match on the database, but there are suspicious elements that suggest the details you've sent are likely a scam. If you receive a yellow flag, this means the details are likely legitimate, but you should still be careful. To get access to the service, you need to sign up with your mobile number through its website, You will then automatically receive a message on WhatsApp from Ask Silver, which has its own number. Ask Silver was set up last year by 32-year old tech entrepreneur Alex Somervell and his business partner Jonny Pryn. The Mirror previously reported how Chris Cooper, 34, a wedding photographer based in London, stepped in to help his parents Des and Wendy Cooper, who are in their 70s and live in West Sussex, after they started to receive phishing emails, asking for their bank account details. A phishing email is a type of scam where a fraudster pretends to be from a reputable company, and then they ask the recipient to provide personal or financial information, or to click a dodgy link that gains access to their device. Chris used Ask Silver to double check the emails his parents were receiving were definitely from scammers. According to research from CIFAS, published in November 2024, UK consumers lost £11.4billion to scams in the 12 months prior. This is an increase of four billion from the 12 months before that. How to report scams If you suspect a scammer is calling you, hang up immediately and search for the contact details online of the place you're supposedly being called from. Never call back the number provided by the caller. Contact your bank straight away if you think a fraudster has got access to your account. You can call the 159 hotline, which will connect you to your bank. Passwords that have been leaked or compromised should be changed immediately. Make sure you report scams and fraud to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040, or through the Action Fraud website. If you're in Scotland, report a scam through Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or on the Advice Direct Scotland website. You can also report scams to Police Scotland on 101. For scam emails, forward them to report@ and for scam text messages, forward them to 7726 for free. You can report dodgy websites to the National Cyber Security Centre.
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Got a suspicious text? This WhatsApp number will tell you if it's a scam
'The URL in the image you sent me is not part of the official Royal Mail Website, meaning it's likely a scam.' This is the response from AI scam-detection tool Ask Silver, when it was sent a screenshot of a message received from an unknown number on WhatsApp. The text claims to be from Royal Mail, and is trying to convince the recipient to follow a link and update their address, under the pretence that it has a parcel for them with a damaged label. Click on that link, and up will come a fake website. The victim will be prompted to enter personal information and bank details to pay for a rescheduled parcel delivery. The fact the text has been sent from a +44 07 UK mobile number - that of an individual, not a company - should be a giveaway, but hundreds of people fall for this type of scam every year. Parcel delivery scams were the fastest growing scam of 2024, according to NatWest, accounting for one in three scam reports made by its customers. Ask Silver is a free scam checker that anyone can use to help judge whether a text, website, letter or email is likely to be fake. It operates via WhatsApp and was launched in October last year. How does Ask Silver work? Ask Silver was invented by 32-year old tech entrepreneur Alex Somervell, who is the chief chief executive and co-founder, along with long-term business partner Jonny Pryn. You can sign up on its website, using your phone number and email address. You will then automatically receive a message on WhatsApp from Ask Silver, which has its own number. You can then run unlimited checks for free on anything you suspect of being a scam - from text messages to suspicious numbers. To do so, you need to send a photo or screenshot of any email, website or leaflet you're worried about to Ask Silver on WhatsApp. Using AI, it is then able to check whether links lead to official websites or not, so you know whether they are safe to click on. After sending the screenshot or image, you will receive one of three replies almost instantly. A red flag means there has been a match on the system with a known scam and you should under no circumstances engage with the website or email. An amber flag is sent where there isn't a match on the database, but there are very suspicious elements that suggest the email, text, letter or website is a scam. Users will rarely receive a yellow flag, which suggests the image appears to be legitimate, but you should still be careful. Fraud costs banks hundreds of millions in customer reimbursements every year. Ask Silver is the type of tech that many banks have wanted to offer their customers, but have not been able to - until now. Last month, Metro Bank became the first UK bank to partner with Ask Silver, suggesting it to its customers as a way they can get a 'second opinion' when deciding if something is a scam. Metro Bank's fraud boss, Baz Thompson, tells This is Money: 'We wanted to give customers a tool they could have at their fingertips to fight fraud.' Work is now underway to integrate Ask Silver within Metro Bank's app so that customers don't have to leave their banking app to report a scam text or website link, Alex Somervell tells this is Money. And it's not just Metro Bank - Ask Silver will soon be adopted by other banks to help fight fraud. 'We are going through onboarding with two big banks and a number of other banks are interested in our tech,' says Somervell. Metro's fraud chief Thompson has called the partnership with Ask Silver a 'game changer' in protecting customers from fraud and helping to stop crime. 'Being able to offer a service where customers can know in minutes whether something is fraudulent provides an essential barrier to staying one step ahead of fraudsters,' Thompson says. But as well as helping customers avoid scams - and saving banks money - the founders of the app also think they can stem the tide of fraud more generally. 'The goal is to stop fraud within the system, not just the banks,' says Somervell. This is why, when Ask Silver detects a scam, it not only reports back to the customer but also alerts the relevant authorities. For this to happen, the user needs to select this option when prompted in Whatsapp. Data compliled by You Gov for Ask Silver reveals 47 per cent of people don't know where to report scams. 'AI categorises the fradulent texts, emails and calls and reports them to the relevant authorities - it's a volume game,' says Somervell. Once scam attempts are reported, the correct authorities can then shut down fraudulent email addresses or websites very quickly. The reports also help to banks to gather data on how scammers are duping them, which is why reporting scam attempts is so crucial - even if the target hasn't been persuaded to click the link.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Metro Bank unveils AI-powered scam detection solution
Metro Bank has unveiled an AI-based scam detection service in collaboration with Ask Silver, aiming to assist customers in identifying fraudulent communications. The tool, named the Metro Bank Scam Checker, enables personal and business clients to immediately determine if they are at risk of falling victim to scams. Customers of Metro Bank can now take a photograph or screenshot of any suspicious emails, websites, letters, or promotional material, and send the image via WhatsApp to the Metro Bank Scam Checker. Ask Silver's AI technology then analyses the content and informs the customer within moments whether it is fraudulent, offering guidance on how to proceed and stay secure. This service is available free of charge to Metro Bank customers, enabling them to swiftly identify fraudulent activity and take necessary precautions. The AI-driven tool offers results within 'minutes', providing customers with an effective means of avoiding impersonation scams and other types of fraudulent schemes. Impersonation fraud has become a serious concern in the UK, with criminals increasingly posing as legitimate organisations to gain unauthorised access to personal accounts. By partnering with Ask Silver, Metro Bank aims to reduce the impact of such fraud, empowering customers to identify deceptive communications and minimise the risk of falling prey to fraudsters. UK Finance reports that more than £1bn ($1.28bn) was lost to fraud and scams in 2023 alone. With the introduction of the Scam Checker, Metro Bank hopes to combat these losses by giving customers the means to recognise scams early and report them to the appropriate authorities. The tool not only alerts customers to potential fraud but also automatically informs the relevant authorities, supporting both the financial sector and law enforcement in their efforts to combat crime. Metro Bank reassures its customers that it will never ask for sensitive details, such as passwords, PINs, or security codes, via email or text message. Ask Silver was established by Alex Somervell and Jonny Pryn, inspired by a personal tragedy when a close relative of Alex's lost £150,000 in a scam. This experience motivated the pair to develop technology that could protect others from similar financial harm. Metro Bank Fraud head Baz Thompson said: 'This new partnership with Ask Silver is a game changer in protecting customers from fraud and helping to stop crime. 'We take the security of our customers very seriously and constantly review how we can help them fight fraud. 'Criminals often play on urgency and speed to trick people into parting ways with their hard-earned cash. "Being able to offer a service where customers can know in minutes whether something is fraudulent provides an essential barrier to staying one step ahead of fraudsters.' "Metro Bank unveils AI-powered scam detection solution" was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
