How Voice-Activated Banking Works
Voice-Activated Banking is a service that uses your unique voice to verify who you are. Your voice print (a lot like your fingerprint) is an added layer of protection to safeguard you and your accounts from fraud. A major benefit of Voice-Activated Banking is its ability to prevent fraud, since it can immediately foil the attempts of would-be impersonators. Once you're enrolled, no one else can call the bank trying to impersonate you—we've got your voice on file and the call must come from the phone registered to you. With Voice-Activated Banking, you can quickly and securely check balances on your checking and savings accounts, transfer money between your WaFd accounts, and more.
Is Voice-Activated Banking secure
Yes! Gone are the days of sharing personal information like passcodes or account numbers out loud. When you call, just say “my voice is my password” and the system authenticates you using not only your unique voice, but also your phone number and the specific phone you're calling from. In this way, the system can thwart fraudsters who attempt to use a spoofed phone number or a recording, as it can recognize and deny access to recordings.
What are the advantages to using Voice-Activated Banking
In a nutshell, the benefits are:
- Streamlined banking: rather than having to listen to a menu and hit the right buttons to check your balance or make a transfer between your accounts, you can just say what you want and the system will recognize that and walk you through your choice.
- Better accessibility: not everyone is able to hit the right buttons on a smart phone screen for various reasons, so the ability to speak to the system is a great option, not to mention being able to use your voice as your password so you don't have to remember (or say out loud) any kind of private passcode or password. This technology gives fast, secure access to account information for more people than ever before.
- Biometric security: because your voice is your password, it adds a layer of exceptional security. With WaFd's Voice-Activated Banking system, not only does it require your voice, but the system also recognizes the phone number you're calling from as well as the phone itself. Voice recognition banking means that even if a fraudster tried to call to impersonate your voice with a spoofed phone number, they won't be successful because the system requires all three to give access to your accounts.
What are the risks to using Voice-Activated Banking
In terms of security, the technology used for Voice-Activated Banking is as secure as using WaFd Bank's online banking website and mobile banking app. One drawback for some could be miscommunication with the system. If speech is difficult or if the system doesn't understand an accent or way of speaking, it might misunderstand your requests. If the system does misunderstand you, you can easily transfer to a live Client Care Center agent by saying “customer service” who would be more than happy to help you with your need.
How does WaFd Bank protect me and my accounts
When you set up a Voice-Activated Banking profile, WaFd Bank will send you a letter in the mail confirming the successful creation of your profile. This way, in the unlikely event that someone other than you does create a profile attached to your accounts, you can contact us so we can resolve the matter and ensure your accounts and your money are secure. You can read more about how WaFd Bank protects your information, how we collect it, and how it's used in our Privacy Center.
Get started with Voice-Activated Banking with WaFd Bank
If you didn't know, now you know! WaFd Voice-Activated Banking comes free with your WaFd accounts. Give us a call at 800-324-9375 to create your profile and enjoy the convenience this service offers. If you haven't experienced a Best Bank, find out why WaFd Bank has been awarded Best Bank and open a checking account or savings account or visit your local branch today!
