Westpac SafeCall will allow customers to receive calls via the app that are Westpac branded, verified by Optus and show a reason for the call. The system is aimed at giving customers more certainty in the legitimacy of the call amid a rising tide of bank impersonation scam calls. Westpac chief executive officer Peter King says: “We’re continuing to invest in scam prevention and detection measures and are currently detecting 69 per cent of all scam cases. Westpac SafeCall will help us reduce bank impersonation scams and make Australia an even harder target for scammers.” The branded calling solution is powered by Ericsson’s cloud communication subsidiary Vonage. SafeCall will be gradually rolled out to Westpac customers in the coming months. UK neobank Monzo rolled out a similar in-app ’status call’ feature last year that helps customers discern whether they’re being called by a genuine bank staffer or a fraudster running an impersonation scam.