How CBA is using AI bots to trap and disrupt global scammers
The Australian Financial Review
ENRICHED
Details
- Date Published
- 23 Apr 2026
- Priority Score
- 2
- Australian
- Yes
- Created
- 23 Apr 2026, 12:00 pm
Description
CBA’s “Pollen” team uses AI honeypots to trap scammers in automated chats, gathering intelligence at 100 times the scale previously possible by humans.
Summary
Commonwealth Bank's 'Pollen' team has deployed AI-driven honeypots to automate the disruption of global fraud networks at a scale significantly exceeding human capabilities. While primarily a cybersecurity and financial crime initiative, the project demonstrates how frontier AI capabilities can be weaponized or countered in adversarial environments. The use of autonomous agents for real-time intelligence gathering highlights the growing role of AI in defending against organized crime, which has implications for identifying emerging catastrophic risks in automated financial systems. This Australian-led implementation serves as a case study for proactive AI governance in mitigating systemic economic harms caused by sophisticated digital actors.
Body
James EyersSenior ReporterApr 23, 2026 – 2.53pmOn the fifth floor of the Commonwealth Bank’s Axle building on the fringe of Sydney’s CBD, six workers are managing a swarm of AI “honeypots”.Known as the Pollen team, it lures and traps global scammers in real time. The AI bots aren’t answering questions about account problems or mortgage rates; they’re engaging thousands of criminals in simultaneous, automated conversations to extract intelligence and protect CBA customers from a growing global threat.Loading...SaveLog in or Subscribe to save articleShareCopy linkCopiedEmailLinkedInTwitterFacebookCopy linkCopiedShare via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? LoginLicense articleFollow the topics, people and companies that matter to you.Find out moreRead MoreThe AI DividendCommonwealth BankScamsOrganised crimeAIBig fourBanking productsJobsSkillsAFR WeekendPerspectiveJames EyersSenior ReporterJames Eyers writes on banking, finance, payments, regulation and emerging technologies. Based in Sydney, he is a former legal and investment banking editor at the AFR and has been a business journalist for more than 20 years. Email James at jeyers@afr.com.auFetching latest articles