# Apate Deploys Undercover AI Agents to Bait Scammers and Gather Fraud Intel

Cybersecurity firm Apate is using AI agents that pose as scam targets, deliberately engaging fraudsters to collect intelligence on their tactics and operations. The approach lets the company observe real scam interactions at scale without putting human victims at risk, feeding data into fraud detection and prevention efforts. It reflects a growing trend of using AI both to perpetrate and to combat online fraud.

**Importance:** 3/5

## Sources

### Technology
- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/14/apate-sends-ai-agents-undercover-to-get-scammed-so-they-can-gather-fraud-intelligence/) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 18:00:00 +0000