Santander UK says a new Artificial Intelligence system is helping law enforcement disrupt human trafficking networks by surfacing suspicious financial activity at speed and scale. The bank told the PA news agency it deployed technology from fintech and big data analytics firm ThetaRay about a year ago, and has since generated hundreds of alerts that were passed to the National Crime Agency for investigation. According to Santander, those leads have contributed to the NCA busting a number of trafficking rings operating in Britain.
The tool scans customer transactions for patterns that may indicate exploitation, such as recurring payments to classified ad or adult services websites, repeated small ATM cash withdrawals, and bookings for international flights and accommodation. While individual transactions may appear benign, the Artificial Intelligence model is designed to identify subtle combinations and trends that traditional rules-based systems often miss. Jas Narang, Santander UK’s chief transformation, data and Artificial Intelligence officer, said the approach represents a step up in financial crime controls, adding that Artificial Intelligence systems learn and evolve in line with increasingly complex criminal behavior.
Every alert is reviewed by the bank’s financial crime prevention specialists, a team of more than 1,000, before any escalation to the NCA. Narang acknowledged growing scrutiny from privacy campaigners over the use of technology to analyze accounts, but said the results demonstrate tangible value in catching criminals. He described the initiative as a first for Santander and said early success will likely pave the way for wider rollout across the group and potential use against other crime types. The International Labour Organisation estimates around 28 million people worldwide are trapped in forced labor, commercial sexual exploitation or other forms of modern slavery. The NCA declined to comment.
