Spot scams in seconds: Metro Bank and Ask Silver launch AI tool

Customers of Metro Bank can now forward suspicious emails, websites, or letters through WhatsApp, where Ask Silver’s AI-driven Scam Checker analyses the material and offers scam detection results along with actionable safety recommendations

London-headquartered Metro Bank has partnered with artificial intelligence startup Ask Silver to roll out a real-time scam detection service aimed at shielding customers from financial fraud. The initiative introduces an AI-powered feature called “Scam Checker,” enabling users to verify suspicious messages directly from their smartphones or tablets.

Using the Scam Checker, Metro Bank customers can take a photo or screenshot of potentially fraudulent communications—ranging from emails and websites to printed letters or flyers—and send it via WhatsApp. Ask Silver’s AI system will then assess the content, determine whether it poses a scam risk, and respond with safety advice and next steps.

“This partnership with Ask Silver marks a major advancement in fraud prevention,” said Baz Thompson, Metro Bank’s Head of Fraud. “Scammers thrive on urgency and confusion. By giving our customers instant clarity, we’re helping them stay in control and ahead of the threat.”

Free service with auto reporting

The service is free for all Metro Bank customers. In cases where fraud is detected, Ask Silver’s system will also automatically forward the scam details to the relevant authorities, saving customers time and helping to prevent wider spread of similar fraud attempts.

Ask Silver was founded by Alex Somervell and Jonny Pryn after a personal experience with financial fraud involving a close family member who lost £150,000. The company’s mission is to create accessible, human-focused solutions that empower people to protect themselves and others.

“We want to ensure no one else goes through what our family did,” said Somervell. “By working with forward-thinking institutions like Metro Bank, we’re putting real protection into people’s hands.”

This partnership reflects a growing trend in the banking sector to leverage AI in strengthening digital safety and reinforces Metro Bank’s commitment to customer security in an increasingly complex cyber landscape.