Apate Deploys AI Agents Undercover to Infiltrate Scams and Gather Fraud Intelligence

TechCrunch•Published: Oct 14, 2026 11:30 PM IST

Sydney-based startup Apate.ai is deploying thousands of AI agents that masquerade as potential victims to engage with fraudsters across phone calls, emails, and social media. By keeping scammers occupied, these agents gather critical intelligence—including bank account details, crypto wallet addresses, and malicious website links—to help banks, telecom companies, and government agencies preemptively block fraud. The company, founded in 2024 following research at Macquarie University, has already wasted 17 years of scammers' time across 2.5 million interactions.

Operational Strategy: AI agents utilize various personas, accents, and languages to bait fraudsters into revealing operational details before a real victim is targeted.
Intelligence Gathering: The platform provides clients with an insights portal containing data on active scam campaigns, impersonated brands, and specific malicious infrastructure.
Industry Impact: Apate is currently a finalist at TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield 200, pitching its proactive anti-fraud technology in San Francisco through October 15, 2026.

The Context & Background

This initiative marks a shift from reactive fraud prevention, where companies typically block numbers or monitor transactions only after a victim has been compromised. The concept originated from a personal experience by CEO Dali Kaafar, who realized that keeping a scammer on the line for 44 minutes effectively prevented them from targeting others while providing valuable data for machine learning models.

What's next:As AI-driven fraud caused over $893 million in losses in 2025, Apate’s proactive approach offers a new defensive layer for financial and telecom sectors. By turning the tables on scammers, companies can now identify and neutralize threats before they reach end users, potentially saving millions in consumer losses.

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