Voice Recognition Problems?

[mushroom25]

https://metro.co.uk/2018/09/05/transgender-womans-bank-account-frozen-because-she-sounded-like-a-man-on-phone-7915234/

do companies need to apply "sounds like a...." to their voice recognition security systems? if yes, what's the answer to the apparent trans-discrimination in this case?

[woofgang]

I am a bit surprised at this because it indicates that if a woman tried to access another woman's bank account she would be likely to get away with it.

[jackthehat]

I would have thought that the voice-recognition system was user-specific.
It shouldn't matter whether you sound like Frank Bruno or Daffy Duck, if that's is your voice, then that should be attached to your account.

[Mamyalynne]

As jth says, your voice is your voice and that should be recognised, isn't that what 'voice recognition' means?

[Old_Geezer]

It's noy easy over a phone line, the tech isn't error free 100%; I can understand it checks everything it can to be as sure as possible. Especially banks.

[Old_Geezer]

NOT !!!

[jno]

i'm sure you're right, OG, but these decisions shouldn't be left in the hands of machines that are fallible.

[ludwig]

I can't see any mention of it involving any technology in the article. It reads like she just phoned up and spoke to someone and they didn't authorise the transaction she wanted because the account name was Sophia but she sounded like a man.

They're trained to be wary of anything that might look like fraud or money laundering.

[Mamyalynne]

I was due to go out on an appointment when I answered so sadly took the thread title to mean a voice recognition system - it was bank staff I now see.

Very frustrating all the same.

[youngmafbog]

It's an attempt at fraud prevention and in doing any of these things some people will fall down the cracks. So long as a system can learn then there should not be an issue. What do you want no fraud protection?

However, this does not appear to be a voice recognition system and in addition this person didnt pass the security check. So for me multiple red flags so account gets frozen until it's checked. This is a non story.

[jackthehat]

Good point, Ludwig.
I think I assumed it was 'technology' on reading mushroom's OP.

On reading the article back, it sounds like she was talking to a 'real' Customer Advisor who made the decision.

[youngmafbog]

So you dont think that it had a bearing on the, rather blown up, issue then?

You dont think that answering the wrong security question and having a voice like a man trying to access a woman's account should be massive red flags?

It is doubtful the bank hold information regarding gender. Since GDPR much less data is held as the justification can get difficult.

[jackthehat]

There's nothing to suggest that she failed the security check questions. It reads like she successfully passed those but the Santander employee was concerned that the details being given, which applied to a woman, sounded like they were being given by a man.