Since ASB launched its 24/7 fraud helpline in February, it has received thousands of calls and helped many Kiwis out of stressful situations.

It is one of the few New Zealand banks to have a 24/7 helpline dedicated to customers who require urgent help with fraud and scams and has received more than 7,000 after-hours calls since its launch.

ASB recruited extra fraud specialists, adapted its technology, and went live with the new line in a matter of months. This took the bank’s team working on preventing fraud and financial crime to more than 350 people.

On the receiving end of those calls is Fraud Detection Specialist Matthew Hayes*, who describes his job as similar to the police in some ways.

“Think of us in the fraud helpline team as being like police; we are at the scene, acting quickly to help prevent any further damage or malicious activity. Then our investigative fraud team are the detectives, following up to join the dots and help track down the criminals.”

In his first year on the job, Hayes responded to and stopped significant fraud in its tracks. Often the team behind the helpline will spot abnormal account behaviour overnight and, in these cases, will give that customer a call to verify the actions or stop them.

This account monitoring isn’t a new initiative from ASB, but the 24/7 team helpline is.

“I have been there in the moment preventing a customer from losing a quarter of a million dollars in stolen funds by freezing it. It’s incredibly adrenaline inducing.”

“We can pull up information and see what is happening, giving us the ability to lock things down. When you’re able to stop a scammer from taking a customer’s hard-earned money, it’s extremely satisfying. There’s a great sense of purpose doing this job; if we can help our customers to spot and avoid scams themselves, that’s the biggest reward of all.”

The helpline was set up to provide extra support for ASB customers and decrease the risk of account takeovers and funds being taken by scammers in the quiet hours of the night and weekend.

An account take-over is when an unauthorised person accesses a customer’s account and tries to move money to another account.

“Scammers can do this by socially engineering victims into giving away personal or banking information, or by downloading third-party software onto their device that gives the scammer remote access to their systems. I’ve had countless calls like that, and when we get that call and act quickly, we can prevent a customer from losing potentially large amounts of money.”

Like Hayes, the 35 faces behind the after-hours helpline are all there to help Kiwis in a time when they need it most.

“Some of our team are ex-police; there’s some transferable skills here. I have always had a desire to help and protect people, and I find finance really interesting, so this role was a good fit for me.

“We have quite a tight-knit team because of the rosters and the unusual hours. It means you are working overnight when people are sleeping and you are working on weekends. Your days may look a little different to the usual nine to five.”

The biggest job satisfaction Hayes gets is knowing he has made a difference to a customer’s life and wellbeing, through his actions and approach.

“Looking at the screen it’s just numbers, but you have got to remember there is a person behind that screen who has worked for years to earn that money, potentially decades. It’s very important to have empathy.”

“People don’t realise the emotional impact being scammed can have; it really is destructive to people’s feelings of safety and security. A victim has accidentally entered their credentials into a malicious website, and someone has gone into their account and moved money out of their account, stealing their life savings in some cases. It can feel really violating.

“We may see ten plus victims of account takeovers per day. For a lot of these people, it is the first time it has happened to them, they may be stressed and feeling vulnerable, so it’s important to have that empathy and think about how the customer may feel.

“When they asked me why I wanted to do this job I said looking after your friends and family comes first, then your finances are often number two. So being able to help people safeguard what they really work hard for is important; we want to help protect it as best we can.”

A team leader on the fraud team and helpline, Annie Mase* said one of the most common calls they receive is from customers, usually overseas and after hours, who for various reasons have had their card blocked and need access to their accounts.

She said the 24/7 line was a game changer for customers at such a critical and stressful time.

“Just pick up the phone. If you are in doubt and see anything suspicious on your account or you receive a suspicious text or email, just call us.

“We all know what it is like when you call a business and you have got the voice message that you have called out of hours. It’s frustrating. So it’s such a positive thing for people to have real time support 24/7 and know they are not on their own.”

The helpline number is 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372) and can be reached 24/7. If you think you’ve fallen victim to a scam, contact your bank immediately. You can also report any suspicious texts by forwarding them to 7726, free of charge. You will receive a text response from the Department of Internal Affairs asking you to complete a report. This will help stop others from falling for the same scam.

*Names have been changed for privacy reasons.