Collaboration integrates AI-powered scam defense with mental health expertise, launching during Suicide Prevention Month to reduce scams and protect victims
Charm Security, the AI-powered Scam Defense platform, and Give an Hour, a national nonprofit providing access to no-cost mental health services, announced a strategic partnership to address the financial and psychological harms of scams and financial crime. The initiative launches during Suicide Prevention Month, underscoring that scams are not only financial crimes but also human crises that can contribute to anxiety, depression, and even suicide risk.
Breaking the Scam Spell with AI and Psychological-Behavioral Perspective
Through this partnership, Charm will embed the lived experiences of scam victims, families, clinicians, and psychologists directly into its AI model training. These perspectives strengthen Charm’s Human Vulnerabilities, Exposures and Exploits model – HVE (™), enabling real-time interventions that can “Break the Scam Spell” (™) before losses, financial or emotional, escalate; and help financial institutions and other leading organizations protect their customers, users, and employees.
At the same time, feedback loops will deliver insights and support back into Give an Hour’s national mental health network, ensuring victims are met with both cutting-edge prevention and compassionate care.
“Scams exploit human vulnerabilities, not just financial systems,” said Roy Zur, Co-Founder and CEO of Charm Security. “By embedding victim and clinician experiences and voices into our AI, we can anticipate manipulative tactics, disrupt them in real time, and ensure prevention and healing go hand in hand.”
Supporting Victims and Addressing the Emotional Toll of Scams
Research consistently shows that the impact of scams extends well beyond financial loss:
- A Lloyds Banking Group survey found that 69% of fraud victims reported mental health impacts, including anxiety and reduced trust in online platforms.
- Studies from the UK Home Office document victims experiencing depression, and in severe cases, suicidal thoughts or attempts.
The findings underscore that the emotional aftermath of scams and fraud can be just as devastating as the financial harm. With this partnership, Give an Hour will deliver training for financial institution teams to help them better recognize, support, and respond to scam victims. This complements Charm’s AI Scam Prevention Agents and Copilots, which equip frontline employees with real-time tools to detect and disrupt scams during customer interactions.
“For nearly two decades, Give an Hour has provided free mental health care to those in need,” said Dr. Trina Clayeux, CEO of Give an Hour. “By partnering with Charm, we can ensure scam victims receive both better protection from cutting-edge AI-based technology and the compassionate support they deserve from their financial institutions.”
Setting a New Standard for Financial Institutions
Together, Charm and Give an Hour are building a comprehensive model for scam defense that goes beyond detection. By combining AI-driven prevention, victim-informed insights, and mental health resources, the partnership offers banks and credit unions a way to:
- Proactively reduce scam losses and operational burden
- Protect customer trust and wellbeing
- Demonstrate leadership in customer care and regulatory readiness
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