NatWest Group announced two AI tools on September 25, 2026, according to its press release. One is already live. The other is only a trial. The difference matters if you bank with NatWest and want to know what you can use today.
What does the live tool actually do?
The Fraud Triage Agent sits inside Cora, NatWest’s digital assistant. NatWest says it directs customers with suspicious credit card transactions to the right fraud, scam, or dispute team, so they don’t have to work out which category their problem fits. NatWest describes it as a routing tool. The release doesn’t say it detects fraud on its own or blocks payments, and it doesn’t say it covers bank transfer scams, where a victim is tricked into sending money.
The bank says the agent has handled nearly 19,000 customer conversations since launch. That figure comes from NatWest, not from an outside audit, and it counts chats, not outcomes. NatWest doesn’t say how many were confirmed fraud, how much money was recovered, or how fast customers got help.
And the second one?
Spending Insights is a generative audio-visual tool that lets customers discuss their spending by voice or text, as NatWest describes it. It’s being trialled first through Royal Bank of Scotland, and it’s built on NatWest’s own small language model, developed by its Chief AI Research Office. The release gives no date for a wider rollout, and NatWest hasn’t said when or whether all customers will get it. So no, it isn’t available to all NatWest customers.
Retail CEO Solange Chamberlain said customers want experiences that are “simpler, more personal and more responsive,” while still knowing “there’s someone to turn to when it matters.” NatWest’s own survey of more than 2,400 customers found 81% say access to a real person is the most important factor in trusting AI in financial services. The release doesn’t say these tools replace calling the bank.
Who Benefits and How
NatWest customers with a suspicious credit card transaction can use the live Fraud Triage Agent in Cora to reach the right fraud, scam, or dispute team without guessing which one applies. It routes the problem. It does not block payments or cover transfer scams, according to the release. The Spending Insights tool is only a trial through Royal Bank of Scotland, with no date for wider access. Most customers will not see it yet.
Why is fraud the focus?
UK Finance reported that payment fraud losses reached £1.28 billion in 2025, up 4% from the year before, across more than four million cases. Authorised push payment (APP) scams, where a victim is tricked into sending money, cost £576.4 million, up 19%. Banks reimbursed £354.3 million of that, which is 61% of APP losses. Those are industry-wide figures, not NatWest figures.
Other banks are building scam tools too. Metro Bank offers a free checker that lets customers send a photo or screenshot of a suspicious item over WhatsApp and get an assessment within minutes, according to Finextra. That tool checks a message you already received. NatWest’s agent routes a transaction problem you report. They solve different parts of the same problem.
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fraud Triage Agent conversations | Nearly 19,000 since launch | NatWest (company-reported) |
| UK payment fraud losses, 2025 | £1.28 billion, up 4% | UK Finance, via FinTech Futures |
| APP scam losses, 2025 | £576.4 million, up 19% | UK Finance, via FinTech Futures |
| APP losses reimbursed | £354.3 million (61%) | UK Finance, via FinTech Futures |
| Customers who rank a real person as most important for trust | 81% | NatWest customer survey |
What should I do about a suspicious text?
Don’t tap the link. Contact your bank through its official app or the number on your card. Tools like Cora or Metro Bank’s checker can help, but check your own bank’s guidance first. One more caution: the “first to market” framing in NatWest’s release is the bank’s own claim, and we couldn’t verify it independently.
Sources
- NatWest Group: First to unveil next generation of AI tools (Sep 25, 2026)
- FinTech Futures: UK payment fraud losses topped £1.28bn in 2025 (Jun 15, 2026)
- Finextra: Metro Bank launches AI scam detection tool (undated on page)