Preventing Scams with the Phone Menu
Stable NPS
30% fewer scams in test
Phone menus (‘IVRs’) are usually to be endured, not embraced . But evidence shows messages can change behaviour. This project successfully targeted 'Safe Account Scams' - those convinced by a scammer to move their money elsewhere.
Great impact - effort ratio
Small shifts in behaviour at scale for minimal cost and time - every customer asked to call is exposed
High flexibility
Rapid shift in messaging and flows possible using modern Cloud-based infrastructure
Preventing Scams with the Phone Menu
Stable NPS
30% fewer scams in test
Phone menus (‘IVRs’) are usually to be endured, not embraced . But evidence shows messages can change behaviour. This project successfully targeted 'Safe Account Scams' - those convinced by a scammer to move their money elsewhere.
Great impact - effort ratio
Small shifts in behaviour at scale for minimal cost and time - every customer asked to call is exposed
High flexibility
Rapid shift in messaging and flows possible using modern Cloud-based infrastructure
Preventing Scams with the Phone Menu
Stable NPS
30% fewer scams in test
Phone menus (‘IVRs’) are usually to be endured, not embraced . But evidence shows messages can change behaviour. This project successfully targeted 'Safe Account Scams' - those convinced by a scammer to move their money elsewhere.
Great impact - effort ratio
Small shifts in behaviour at scale for minimal cost and time - every customer asked to call is exposed
High flexibility
Rapid shift in messaging and flows possible using modern Cloud-based infrastructure
“Fresh thinking from Pete was fantastic. I've really bought into the difference the psychology can make. ”
“Fresh thinking from Pete was fantastic. I've really bought into the difference the psychology can make. ”
Wendy | Channel Strategy Manager| Santander
The Challenge
How can we make a quick impact on scams, at pace and without breaking the bank? Blocked payments drive a call, exposing every potential scammed customer to the IVR menu. The tech is highly customisable, at low cost. Set aside our perceptions of IVR experience. Could a message make the difference and stop scams?
The Solution
Behaviour re-design of the IVR flow and messaging, using techniques to grab attention and hold it. In a boring and unloved space like the IVR the potential to jolt peoples' interest is high. Emotive, relevant language was used to cause mild surprise, and hold the attention of more people than normal. The message itself targeted one scam, and the wording was stripped back to maximise uptake.
Behaviour re-design of the IVR flow and messaging, using techniques to grab attention and hold it. In a boring and unloved space like the IVR the potential to jolt peoples' interest is high. Emotive, relevant language was used to cause mild surprise, and hold the attention of more people than normal. The message itself targeted one scam, and the wording was stripped back to maximise uptake.
The Solution
Behaviour re-design of the IVR flow and messaging, using techniques to grab attention and hold it. In a boring and unloved space like the IVR the potential to jolt peoples' interest is high. Emotive, relevant language was used to cause mild surprise, and hold the attention of more people than normal. The message itself targeted one scam, and the wording was stripped back to maximise uptake.
The Future
Cloud infrastructure opens up loads of exciting ways to interrupt scams from the IVR. Other services can be triggered, creating a more compelling set of actions that deploy Science in concert. Each builds on the efforts of the last. For example triggering stirring Video-based notifications based on certain customer intents given in the Phone Menu
Cloud infrastructure opens up loads of exciting ways to interrupt scams from the IVR. Other services can be triggered, creating a more compelling set of actions that deploy Science in concert. Each builds on the efforts of the last. For example triggering stirring Video-based notifications based on certain customer intents given in the Phone Menu
View more on Stopping Scams with AI
Outcomes
30% fewer safe account scams on test line
Stable NPS, No Complaints
Methods used
How Pete combined Behaviour Science and Design to stop scams.
Discovery Activity
Data and Insight
Behaviour modelling with 'COM - B'
Observation and Simulation
Scams Psychology Research
"Data analysis pulled together customer feedback from surveys, intents and routing.
Simulation and experimentation helped model customer motivation and behaviour in the IVR. What was the mindset of our target audience, how did that change through the call?
All this set up Design and experimentation.
Design Activity
Design Thinking : Ideation
Behaviour Design
System Design
Scams Psychology Research
"Armed with insight into Customer mindset I came up with some levers to pull, and a number of wording and flow designs. These got played with and re-shaped with the IVR team considering system capability.
Our goal was to deploy designs at pace within the existing IVR infrastructure and change methodology.
Prototyping and Testing
Lofi Prototyping
Hifi Prototyping
Test Design
"IVRs provide brilliant opportunities for testing different ideas.
Fantastic collaboration with the IVR team and Tech meant we could go from concept to live in a week. Multiple lines, with recently improved MI to measure impact. This matters : we needed to measure live behaviour to show any impact .
Versions were tested over a 4 week period, to allow for the relatively low volume of scams in our target pot.
Delivery
Jobs to be Done
Story Mapping
Continuous Discovery
"Cloud infrastructure and more great collaboration meant going from experiments to fully deployed messages in a few weeks.
Flexibility to iterate when live was so important. Anything aimed at customers rapidly becomes noise. What worked today might not tmrw.
IVR works best as a live Product, with continuous agile discovery built in to iterate on a regular basis. Short cycles of discovery, design, testing and delivery made all the difference in this activity.
Discovery Activity
Data and Insight
Behaviour modelling with 'COM - B'
Observation and Simulation
Scams Psychology Research
"Data analysis pulled together customer feedback from surveys, intents and routing.
Simulation and experimentation helped model customer motivation and behaviour in the IVR. What was the mindset of our target audience, how did that change through the call?
All this set up Design and experimentation.
Design Activity
Design Thinking : Ideation
Behaviour Design
System Design
Scams Psychology Research
"Armed with insight into Customer mindset I came up with some levers to pull, and a number of wording and flow designs. These got played with and re-shaped with the IVR team considering system capability.
Our goal was to deploy designs at pace within the existing IVR infrastructure and change methodology.
Prototyping and Testing
Lofi Prototyping
Hifi Prototyping
Test Design
"IVRs provide brilliant opportunities for testing different ideas.
Fantastic collaboration with the IVR team and Tech meant we could go from concept to live in a week. Multiple lines, with recently improved MI to measure impact. This matters : we needed to measure live behaviour to show any impact .
Versions were tested over a 4 week period, to allow for the relatively low volume of scams in our target pot.
Delivery
Jobs to be Done
Story Mapping
Continuous Discovery
"Cloud infrastructure and more great collaboration meant going from experiments to fully deployed messages in a few weeks.
Flexibility to iterate when live was so important. Anything aimed at customers rapidly becomes noise. What worked today might not tmrw.
IVR works best as a live Product, with continuous agile discovery built in to iterate on a regular basis. Short cycles of discovery, design, testing and delivery made all the difference in this activity.
Discovery Activity
Data and Insight
Behaviour modelling with 'COM - B'
Observation and Simulation
Scams Psychology Research
"Data analysis pulled together customer feedback from surveys, intents and routing.
Simulation and experimentation helped model customer motivation and behaviour in the IVR. What was the mindset of our target audience, how did that change through the call?
All this set up Design and experimentation.
Design Activity
Design Thinking : Ideation
Behaviour Design
System Design
Scams Psychology Research
"Armed with insight into Customer mindset I came up with some levers to pull, and a number of wording and flow designs. These got played with and re-shaped with the IVR team considering system capability.
Our goal was to deploy designs at pace within the existing IVR infrastructure and change methodology.
Prototyping and Testing
Lofi Prototyping
Hifi Prototyping
Test Design
"IVRs provide brilliant opportunities for testing different ideas.
Fantastic collaboration with the IVR team and Tech meant we could go from concept to live in a week. Multiple lines, with recently improved MI to measure impact. This matters : we needed to measure live behaviour to show any impact .
Versions were tested over a 4 week period, to allow for the relatively low volume of scams in our target pot.
Delivery
Jobs to be Done
Story Mapping
Continuous Discovery
"Cloud infrastructure and more great collaboration meant going from experiments to fully deployed messages in a few weeks.
Flexibility to iterate when live was so important. Anything aimed at customers rapidly becomes noise. What worked today might not tmrw.
IVR works best as a live Product, with continuous agile discovery built in to iterate on a regular basis. Short cycles of discovery, design, testing and delivery made all the difference in this activity.
Book your 30 min Discovery session
Book your 30 min Discovery session
Book your 30 min Discovery session
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Roll & Flow : Prevent
Stop scams with Science wired into every step
© 2025 Tamashii Design Ltd. All rights reserved. Roll & Flow and Roll & Flow : Prevent are trading names of Tamashii Design Ltd, registered in England and Wales (No. 16294814).
Contact
Roll & Flow : Prevent
Stop scams with Science wired into every step
© 2025 Tamashii Design Ltd. All rights reserved. Roll & Flow and Roll & Flow : Prevent are trading names of Tamashii Design Ltd, registered in England and Wales (No. 16294814).
Contact
Roll & Flow : Prevent
Stop scams with Science wired into every step
© 2025 Tamashii Design Ltd. All rights reserved. Roll & Flow and Roll & Flow : Prevent are trading names of Tamashii Design Ltd, registered in England and Wales (No. 16294814).
Prevent
ROLL & FLOW
Prevent
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