Fraud attacks on call centers are on the rise, with growth particularly significant in the financial services industry.
For example, nearly two-thirds of financial‑industry respondents said that most account takeovers originate in call centers, according to a report from TransUnion.
Criminals are looking to exploit every channel — phone, text, email, and more — seeking the weakest link to infiltrate financial institutions. In some cases, those looking to commit fraud have turned to artificial intelligence, such as deep-fake voice technology that has rendered traditional methods of voice authentication unreliable.
Consider the following scenario: Cybercriminals launch a phishing campaign targeting a bank’s customers through fake emails and text messages that mimic legitimate bank communications. Once customers unwittingly provide login credentials, fraudsters access their accounts to initiate unauthorized transactions. Simultaneously, the attackers flood the bank’s contact center with spoofed calls from concerned customers and AI-generated voice bots, overwhelming the system and preventing legitimate callers from reaching support. While frontline staff scramble to handle the surge, fraud detection teams are bogged down by noise in the system, delaying their response.
Fighting back against these types of attacks begins with adopting a mindset of layered defenses and real-time detection. Ultimately, the critical step is creating a shift in mindset from point-in-time and point-of-interaction fraud prevention to an always-on, dynamic and layered approach. At every step of the way, organizational leaders must ask themselves: Are we proactively mitigating fraud at every level and continuously improving our layered defenses to stay ahead?
By combining such defense mechanisms with defined front-door and multifactor data-security protocols, and advanced, real-time fraud-detection technologies, organizations can significantly reduce their risk of unauthorized access or disclosure of confidential information.
Fortifying the front door with multifactor security
Modern fraud prevention begins at the front line: authentication. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a cornerstone of this strategy. By combining something a customer knows (like a PIN), something they have (such as a mobile device or token), and something they are (biometric verification), MFA provides a robust initial line of defense. Research indicates that MFA can prevent 99.9% of account compromise attacks, making it one of the most effective tools for reducing unauthorized access.
Beyond traditional methods like security questions and passwords, today’s contact centers are adopting biometric technologies to streamline and strengthen authentication. Voice biometrics, for example, authenticate callers by analyzing unique voice characteristics such as pitch, rhythm, and tone. This not only reduces reliance on knowledge-based authentication but also enhances customer convenience by minimizing friction during access.
However, as deep-fake voice technology becomes more advanced and accessible, relying on voice biometrics alone is no longer sufficient. Sophisticated fraudsters can now manipulate audio to imitate legitimate customers, bypassing single-modality security systems. As a result, financial institutions must take a layered approach, combining voice biometrics with device intelligence, geolocation data, and behavioral analytics to authenticate users.
Leading contact center platforms also support seamless escalation paths, allowing agents to introduce additional verification layers without disrupting the customer journey. By designing authentication workflows that respond to real-time risk signals, institutions can minimize fraud exposure while preserving trust and satisfaction.
Catching anomalies and intruders in real time
Even the most sophisticated front-door controls can be bypassed. That’s why fraud defense must extend beyond initial authentication and continuously monitor interactions for signs of compromise.
Fraud detection in real time requires a shift from static, rules-based systems to adaptive, AI-driven platforms that can evolve alongside emerging threats. Traditional approaches often rely on predefined scripts and thresholds that fail to capture the nuance of today’s fraud attempts. In contrast, modern anomaly detection tools analyze a variety of signals simultaneously, including voice tone, conversational flow, response latency, and behavioral biometrics.
For instance, real-time systems can detect inconsistencies in how users navigate automated systems or how they phrase routine questions. A fraudster attempting to socially engineer a customer service agent might pause unusually, mispronounce names, or avoid direct answers, subtle cues that AI systems trained on legitimate user behavior can flag for review. These tools are particularly effective in identifying low-and-slow attacks, where criminals probe defenses over multiple interactions to gather information.
Location and device intelligence are also critical components of real-time monitoring. A call originating from a region known for fraud, or an access attempt from a suspicious IP address or jailbroken device, can prompt automatic verification steps or even session termination. Combined with historical account behavior, such as typical login times or call frequency, these insights help establish a behavioral baseline for each customer and detect deviations instantly.
Planning for the inevitable
As fraud tactics evolve and attacks become inevitable, financial institutions’ defenses must also advance. Protecting contact centers requires a layered security posture that integrates front-door multifactor authentication, real-time monitoring, AI-driven anomaly detection, and continuous verification.
A modern fraud prevention strategy embraces flexibility and real-time adaptability. It leverages AI to understand behavioral patterns, deploys dynamic verification methods tailored to risk, and provides agents with the tools and intelligence they need to act quickly and confidently. Financial institutions that take this layered approach are best positioned to protect their customers, preserve trust, and stay one step ahead of increasingly sophisticated threats.
Rahul Kumar is Vice President and General Manager for Financial Services at Talkdesk.
